Lose Control
by Driftingthought
Summary: After being saved by the Titans from being Slade's apprentice, Robin is more determined than ever to find Slade and take him down. Slade, however, has other plans.
1. Obsession

A/N

This story dives into the darker side of Teen Titans (harking back to episodes like _Haunted,_ _The End_ , and others). Warning for readers: blood, death, and other very adult themes are mentioned. Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or any of their franchises.

* * *

Lose Control

Robin sighed as he rubbed his eyes in tiredness. It was late; too late, and he should've been in bed hours ago. However, after a rousing game of Stinkball between Cyborg and Beastboy, Robin had returned from the training room that afternoon to find all his files out of order and strewn about the hallway. After learning that Beastboy had thrown them at Cyborg to try to keep him away, Robin tiredly dismissed the two before getting to work. He reorganized the files, pouring over the names of countless villains he and the rest of the Titans had taken down and put behind bars. Cinderblock, Control Freak, Mad Mod . . . the list went on and on. As he placed the files back into their respective cabinets, something inside him twinged in annoyance as he realized one file was missing. Finding the file on the floor underneath his desk, he picked it up and dusted it off.

Slade. Robin's teeth ground just looking at the man's name, and as he opened the file, his rage spiked. His arch-nemesis. His rival, and even his . . . superior, at least in some respects. He hated Slade. Hated that the man seemed incapable of ever being caught, taken down, or imprisoned. Slade always seemed to be one, or three, steps ahead of Robin in every aspect, and that was why Robin knew he had to always be on alert. Jump City could go up in flames if he got complacent.

Robin got up from his chair, still holding the file. It would probably be better if his file on Slade went somewhere more suitable, but Robin knew if any of his friends found him in that particular room at this time of night, they would label him as obsessed. But he wasn't obsessed. This was Slade they were dealing with! Didn't they know that?!

The door to the room Robin was searching for opened. Robin stepped in, and as the light automatically snapped on, he looked around. There were artifacts of all the criminals they'd ever caught tacked up on the walls. But the room was largely devoted to Slade, which was why Robin feared what his friends would think at finding him here. Newspaper articles of the man were everywhere, as were several Sladebot masks, a few of Slade's gadgets Robin had recovered after he and Slade sparred during one of their numerous fights, and half of Slade's own mask. Folded up in the middle of the room sat a single suit, surrounded by various gadgets with a horrific "S" imprinted on the front of each one. Tossing the Slade folder onto the table, Robin picked up the suit and held it out, snarling under his breath before throwing the suit across the room in anger.

He hadn't forgotten, and it would be impossible for him to ever forget. Though he hadn't been Slade's apprentice long, the experience marred him like a brand and haunted his dreams and his nightmares each and every night. How could he forget the training sessions, the numerous threats, the learning how to effectively use lethal weapons? How could he forget Slade's training him how to steal? How could he forget the time Slade taught him how to _kill_?

It wasn't as if he were incapable of doing these things on his own, but as a hero, such brutal tactics never even crossed his mind. It wasn't a hero's way to steal, much less to kill. He wasn't like Slade. He wasn't an assassin. Killing was something that Robin would never do. "I'm not like you, Slade," Robin growled, pulling a Sladebot mask from the wall and glaring at it, pretending it was actually Slade himself. "I never will be!" With that shout, Robin threw the mask across the room. It hit the wall and fell to the ground, and Robin froze, hoping that he hadn't woken his teammates up.

After several moments, Robin sighed. He was far too tired to be playing mind games with himself. Robin walked over to the uniform that Slade had given him, picking it up and noticing the tears in the fabric. He pushed away the thoughts of Slade and folded up the garment, placing it back in its position on the table. He hung the Sladebot mask back up, then glanced around the room one last time. Two months. It had been two months since he'd been Slade's apprentice, and it'd been two months since he'd even seen Slade or heard the man's name on the news. But that didn't mean Slade was gone. Far from it.

Robin gritted his teeth again. Slade was definitely up to something. He was probably planning some nefarious scheme and would soon strike like a cobra in the night. But until Robin could either find the man or hear rumor of his plan, he would be blind. So he would simply have to wait to see what happened next, trying his best to be ready. Robin glanced over his shoulder before leaving the room, looking directly at his apprentice uniform before the door closed.

Turning from the room, Robin didn't go to his bedroom to get some much needed rest. Instead, he went toward the doors to the tower, planning on checking on Slade's old lair one last time. As long as Slade was still around, Robin couldn't rest. He couldn't even blink, or else he might find himself in the same position as before. And that would not happen again. Robin wouldn't let it.

"Dude, give it up. You're not going to find him."

Moments away from leaving, Robin whirled around, equally panicked and embarrassed at getting caught. He found himself face-to-face with Cyborg. "What are you doing up?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same question," Cyborg said.

Robin blushed. "I'm just . . . going out for a bit."

"You're not gonna find him, Robin," Cyborg said.

Robin balled his hands into fists, blushing again. "I don't know what you're talking — "

"We all know where you've been going, Robin," Cyborg said. "The first time you left, we followed you. You were trying to find Slade, right? You went to his lair, looked everywhere, then came back and told us you got lost trying to find a pizza joint. Really."

Robin sighed, his hands going limp. "It's just . . . I need to find him. I need to know what he's up to."

"If he doesn't want you to find him, he won't be found," Cyborg said. "You of all people should know that. Besides, who cares what he's up to? Who cares finding out what he's planning? Once he even moves a muscle, we'll be there to take him down — "

Robin suddenly slammed a fist into the wall to his left. "Are you crazy, Cyborg? You think it's no big deal to let Slade just plan and plot and scheme behind the scenes? What about last time, huh? You didn't even know those . . . those _things_ were inside you until it was too late! You all could've died, and you're calling me crazy for being a little worried — "

"I never said you were crazy, Robin!" Cyborg shouted back, their voices escalating. "But don't you think it's a bit obsessive to go check on someone's whereabouts at three in the morning?"

"Are you doing that again?" Robin snarled. "Calling me obsessive?"

"Yeah, I am!" Cyborg shouted back. "Look, Robin, even if you do find him, what are you going to do, huh? You think going at it alone, in your condition, is going to do anything?"

"Are you saying I'm weak?" Robin growled.

"Dude, you _know_ you can't take Slade down by yourself!" Cyborg said. "You haven't slept in a week, and if you managed to find him now, what do you think would happen? He'd annihilate you! In fact, he might just decide to make you his apprentice again!"

"Shut up about that!" Robin yelled. "Don't treat it like it's some sort of joke or game! Being under Slade was the _worst experience of my life_!"

"I'm not saying it wasn't horrible," Cyborg said, lowering his voice. "I'm just saying that you need to chill. You need to stop thinking about Slade for one nanosecond, and you need to sleep. Look, I'll strike a deal with you. If you go to bed right now and sleep, I'll gather the team and we'll look for Slade tomorrow. _Together_. Got it?"

Robin sighed, rubbing his eyes in tiredness again. He looked up at Cyborg, finally nodding his head. "All right. Fine. You've got yourself a deal," he muttered.

Cyborg grinned. "Great. Now get to bed, man. You're dead on your feet."

Robin nodded, slowly walking toward his bedroom. After saying goodnight to Cyborg, he went to his bedroom and fell onto his bed. He laid there for several minutes, then sat up. No, Cyborg was wrong. He wasn't being obsessive. He was protecting his team.

Robin got up, and, with years of Batman's training behind him, left his room without a sound and once again made his way to the doors of the Tower. Overriding Cyborg's system shutdown, Robin opened the doors and raced into the night. He hadn't wanted to lie to Cyborg, but it was necessary. He had to keep them safe; he couldn't — wouldn't — let his teammates suffer again. And he would never again be Slade's apprentice.


	2. Conversation

Robin walked through Slade's old lair, every nerve of his body set on edge. Though the place looked as though it was no longer in use and abandoned, that didn't mean that Robin could let his guard down. Slade could be hiding behind any shadow, around the bend of the next curve —

Robin suddenly threw a batarang as he saw movement off to his left. He snorted when he realized it had only been a rat, but he stood up suddenly as sound caught his ear. Some of the gears in the hideout were moving again. Had he triggered their movement somehow? Or was it Slade? Instantly, Robin brought out his bow staff and stood motionless, ears and eyes straining for anything out of the ordinary. Slade _had_ to be here.

Robin stood for several minutes in the same spot before his muscles started to fatigue and he went slack. Maybe he really was going crazy. He hadn't slept in several days, and hadn't gotten good sleep for the past month. Was it driving him toward insanity? Or was it just —

"Well, hello, Robin."  
Robin whirled around with a snarl, eyes searching for the voice he knew so well and hated even more. Slade was here. But where? "Slade," he growled, eyes narrowing. Searching a bit more, Robin finally located a ledge off to his left where he knew the man was. Pulling out a batarang, Robin was about to throw it when Slade spoke again.

"When was the last time you slept? You look exhausted."

Robin turned around again, hearing the voice come from the other side of the room this time. With a snarl, he took off after it, while Slade's laughter seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"How have the last few months been, Apprentice?"

Robin snarled at the title Slade would dare give him. "I'm not your apprentice!" He looked around, furiously trying to locate Slade. Why was this so hard?

"Such a temper, Robin. It could get you in trouble."

"The only thing in trouble is you!" Robin shouted, still trying vainly to locate the villain. He thought he saw a shadow off to the left, and was about to strike when he felt a sharp tug on his arm. Twisting and letting his body weight drop, he felt his arm loosen from Slade's grip. Instantly he yanked himself free, but when he turned to throw a punch at the villain, Slade was standing several feet away from him.

"So we meet again, Robin," Slade said silkily.

"And I'm taking you down, Slade," Robin growled, tightening his grip on his bow staff.

"For what?" Slade asked. "I've done nothing wrong. As I recall, _you_ have been the one showing up uninvited, destroying my old lair . . . "

"Shut up!" Robin screamed, racing toward Slade and swinging his staff at the man. Slade dodged fluidly, only angering Robin more. "Just shut up, Slade!"

"I don't recall saying anything," Slade said, grabbing Robin's staff and pushing him backwards with it.

"You've been up to something, and I'm going to find out," Robin growled. "I'm going to find out, and this time I'll stop you before it's too late."

"Of course you will," Slade said, his single eye glowing like an ember. "Just like last time."

At this, Robin screamed. The memories of his friends in pain burned Robin like a fire. "I will never be your apprentice!"

Slade only chuckled at this outburst, which pushed Robin to the breaking point. Suddenly he rushed at Slade, anger blinding him. He threw several batarangs at Slade then tried again to hit the man with his bow staff. Unfortunately, nothing was working. Finally he pulled out two batarangs and, instead of throwing them, began to fight hand-to-hand combat with them. The two of them fought, and Robin slowly realized that he was winning. Triumphantly, Robin quickly took up his bow staff a second time, aiming for Slade's neck and grinning with satisfaction when contact was made. Slade didn't stagger, but Robin was driving him back successfully. Finally, Robin forced Slade against a wall and, batarang in hand, pressed it into Slade's chest in-between his armor plates.


	3. Just Like Him

"Do you realize what you've done, Robin?" Slade asked.

Only at that moment did Robin hear the differences in their voices. While Robin felt so exhausted that he was about to pass out, Slade didn't even sound winded. Had Slade purposely let him gain the upper hand? If so, why? Robin frowned. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," he wheezed.

"Do you know whose fighting techniques you used just now?" Slade whispered. "They're much too brutal for a hero such as yourself."

Robin blinked in confusion, then staggered backward in realization. For some reason just then, he had changed and started using the techniques _Slade_ had taught him while Robin was his apprentice. Robin looked at his batarang and dropped it in shock when he saw blood on the blade. Everything, from using his batarangs as close range weapons, to aiming for the neck with his bow staff, to aiming for a killing blow between the armor plates . . . it was all Slade's techniques. Things that Slade had personally taught him while Robin had been his apprentice. Robin sank to his knees in defeat, shaking his head. "N-no. Slade, I'm not your apprentice."

"Of course you aren't," Slade said from above him. "But you're just like me."

When Robin felt a hand on his shoulder, he jumped up in a panic. "Get away from me!"

"You were so confident before," Slade said, approaching him again. "What happened?"

"I-I'm nothing like you!" Robin yelled, gripping his bow staff so hard that his knuckles bled beneath his gloves. "I have friends, and I — "

"Then where are your friends, Robin?" Slade asked, moving even closer to Robin. "Did you have to lie to them again just so you could track me down?"

Robin's eyes widened. "How did you . . . "

"You just did," Slade answered. "Lying about your whereabouts and going behind their backs seems neither heroic nor trustworthy. If you can't trust your friends, then who can you trust?"

Robin could almost hear the mockery in Slade's voice. He tried to say something, but Slade cut him off.

"You know you can't trust them," Slade continued in a whisper. "On the contrary, you seem to be unable to trust the Titans. Let me ask you: what makes the both of us so different? Ruthless, power-hungry, a hatred of losing. I could go on Robin, but it's enough. It's true."

"I said," Robin said shakily, barely able to contain his rage, "I'm nothing like you!"

"We both know that's a lie," Slade hissed.

With a scream, Robin jumped up and tried to attack Slade again, but Slade merely caught his bow staff and pushed him to the ground.

"That temper again, Robin," Slade said. "It will be your downfall."

"What are you — " Robin choked as Slade suddenly picked him up by the neck.

"I've grown weary of our conversation, Robin," Slade mused, taking out a needle filled with red liquid. "Playing chess has grown tiresome, now the move is checkmate."

Robin struggled, but was unable to break free from Slade's grip. He was vaguely aware of the needle Slade held piercing into his arm, and when Slade finally dropped him to the ground, Robin saw Slade pocket the needle. He looked at his arm, then back at the needle. "W-what did you put into me?" he asked hoarsely.

Slade's eye narrowed, and he chuckled. "You'll soon find out. Watch that temper, but for now . . . goodnight, Robin."

Robin, totally unprepared, only saw a flash of Slade's fist before he was knocked out.


	4. Figuring Things Out

Robin awoke suddenly the next morning, amazed to find himself back in the tower in his own bed. He looked around, almost expecting Slade to be standing in the shadows somewhere, watching him. Then Robin blinked and rubbed his head, groaning. Had it all been a dream? There was no way that Slade could actually get into the Tower on his own anyway; the alarms would've gone off. He glanced over and was startled to find that one of his hands was ungloved. Seeing the glove next to him, Robin realized that last night's events probably had occurred. Slade had used Robin's own hand to bypass the system and enter the tower sans alarms. That and Robin's upper arm hurt terribly. Whatever Slade had put into him . . .

Robin sat up, eyes wide. What had Slade put into him? Was it poison? Some sort of mind control? Jumping up, Robin tested out each of his limbs, standing up and practicing a few fighting moves before sitting down on his bed. Well, he wasn't dying on the spot at least. But the rest of the Titans hadn't been dying until Slade had pressed that button . . .

Robin snarled and balled his hands into fists, gritting his teeth. What had Slade done to him? What had that twisted villain injected him with, what with his hiding out for the last two months only to come out of hiding to face Robin once and disappear again? What —

Suddenly, the door to his bedroom opened, and in walked Cyborg.

"So you're up," Cyborg said.

Robin blinked. "Uh, yeah. What's up?"

"Well, I'm keeping my promise," Cyborg said.

"Promise?" Robin asked, slipping his glove over his hand and hoping Cyborg wouldn't suspect anything.

Cyborg looked at him as though he had three heads. "The tracking down Slade thing? Dude, you must've just woken up! Anyway, get some breakfast then we'll head out."

Robin opened his mouth to mention the injection he'd received, then closed his mouth, thinking better of it. If he told Cyborg, or any of the team for that matter, that he'd gone out against their will, then the rest of the team would probably place him under Tower arrest for the next month. Leader or no leader, disobeying orders was still punishable. That and tracking down a villain at three in the morning was just plain crazy, as Beastboy said over his breakfast of tofu waffles.

"And man, when we followed you, you didn't even know it!" Beastboy crowed. "You were so focused on Slade that a bomb could've gone off and it wouldn't have stopped you!"

Robin nodded briefly and took a bite of his cereal, rubbing his arm where the injection was and hoping no one had noticed. Unfortunately, Starfire did.

"Friend Robin," Starfire began, casually taking a bite of toast slathered with mint frosting, olives, and horseradish, "is your arm hurting? Do you need some of the medical attention?"

Robin blinked, then shook his head. "No, Star. I'm fine. I just slept on my arm, that's all." He glanced over and became a bit nervous when Raven's eyes lingered on him for a few moments, but she returned to her tea and book within seconds. Robin breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"I heard that we're tracking down Slade this afternoon," Raven said, making Robin look up,

"Yeah, but what for?" Beastboy asked. "Has he set a trap or something?"

"Robin kinda wanted to go search for him last night," Cyborg said with a shrug, causing an eruption at the table. "So I made a deal with him that if he got some shuteye, we'd track Slade today."

"Dude, again?" Beastboy asked, "you're obsessed with him! This has been going on for the past two weeks!"

"Is it the healthiest?" Starfire asked. "To be getting only three hours of sleep each night?"

"You should rest, you know," was all Raven said.

"I'm fine," Robin muttered, rubbing his tired eyes again. "I can handle it."


	5. Keeping Secrets

"Yeah, that's what you said last time before he caught you and infected us with all those robot-things," Beastboy said.

"Maybe you should just stay here," Cyborg said. "Maybe we should track Slade on our own. You need to rest, man."

"I'm _fine!_ " Robin suddenly burst out, slamming his fist on the table and cracking it with the force of his blow. "I know Slade, all right? He's up to something horrible! Would you all just leave me alone and trust my judgment?!"

"Robin, chill," Cyborg said. "We're worried — "

But Robin found that his anger had spiraled out of control. "You were just calling me an obsessed freak!" he shouted. "Well, fine, then! If you guys don't want me to come, I'll go at it alone!" And with that he stormed off, not even finishing his breakfast.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Beastboy shouted after him.

"Robin seems distressed," Robin heard Starfire say, "do you think he needs one of the earth's hugs?"

"Forget it," Raven said. "He just needs time to cool off."

"More like freeze over!" Beastboy muttered. "And how in the world did he crack our table?"

Robin snarled under his breath and made his way to the training room. As soon as he entered, he viciously attacked a punching bag. What was Slade up to? Why didn't his friends trust him to take down Slade, and why couldn't his friends see that he was only trying to take down Slade to keep them safe? How could they think that he would either endanger them or himself in the process? He was their _leader_. It was his job . . .

With a furious shout, Robin landed a hit to the punching bag. Suddenly, the bag jolted and swung away from him with such force that not only did the ring that held it to the ceiling come free, but also some of the ceiling with it. Robin stood, stunned at his own strength. He'd never been able to do that before. Robin rolled his eyes, chalking it up to his own anger and frustration. Cyborg wouldn't be happy, but he'd deal with that later.

"Dude, what did you do?"

Or maybe he'd deal with it now.

Robin turned, shrugging. "Sorry, Cy. I guess I'm just too strong or something."

"Man, I told you not to destroy these things!" Cyborg said, mouth dropping open when he noticed a hole in the ceiling where the bag used to hang. "Maybe you need to find a safer outlet for your anger."

"I said I'm fine," Robin said tightly.

Cyborg sighed. "What was that about, then? At the breakfast table? You just flew off the handle like . . . "

"Don't start, Cyborg," Robin said dangerously.

"Oh, I'm starting!" Cyborg said. "I get that your mad and angry, but did you ever think that's because you never sleep? Then you take it out on us, your team, just because we're worried about your health!"

"I said I'm fine!" Robin said. Suddenly, the arm that Slade had injected throbbed, and he placed his hand over it.

"And what's up with your arm?" Cyborg asked. "Raven said that you seemed worried and in pain during breakfast."

Robin looked away. Give it to Raven to pick up on the subtleties. "I-it's nothing."

Cyborg gasped. "Dude, did you go looking for Slade last night?"

Robin looked up at Cyborg, wondering if he could get away with lying again.

Cyborg moved backward, incredibly hurt. "You did; you don't trust us. You lied to the team, man!"


	6. Staying Behind

"I'm sorry, okay!" Robin yelled back. "But I just — "

Suddenly, alarms went off at the tower. Robin saw Raven appear at the door to their training room. "Who — " Robin began.

"It's Slade," Raven said.

No sooner did Raven disappear that Robin began to run after her. However, he hadn't gotten more than a step forward before Cyborg grabbed him by the arm.

"No, Robin," Cyborg said.

"What are you doing?!" Robin yelled. "It's Slade, Cyborg! We've got to stop him!"

"No, _you_ don't. Until you can calm down and trust us again, I'm not letting you leave this tower," Cyborg said.

"You're punishing me?" Robin growled. "The leader of the team?"

"It's better if you sit this one out, man," Cyborg said. "Stay here and get some sleep."

"Sleep?" Robin laughed. "You think I'd sleep with you guys out fighting Slade? What if something happens again?!"

"Then we'll deal with it!" Cyborg said, tightening his grip on Robin's arm. "But I'm not going to deal with a leader who can't even trust his friends!"

"If you try to make me stay behind . . . " Robin began.

"You will stay behind, man," Cyborg said. "Unless you want me to strap you down to prevent you from following us, you're _not coming_."

Robin glared up at Cyborg. The two stared at each other for several moments before Robin finally sighed. "Okay. Fine," he spat. "I'll stay here."

"Good," Cyborg said. "And when we get back, we need to have a talk as a team. Because we haven't been acting like one recently."

Robin nodded in defeat, watching Cyborg go and hearing the Titans leave the tower. With another sigh, he wondered what was going to happen. What was Slade up to? What was his plan? Could the rest of the Titans really handle it without him? Robin had just walked into the living room and sat on the couch before he stood up. What if Slade injected them with the same substance that he got? What if they all got infected, and he was right back where he was two months prior? Robin punched the couch in anger, accidentally putting a hole in it. He blinked in surprise, but the anger came back right away. He hadn't even warned them! Hadn't told them of the mysterious substance Slade had injected him with so that they could be on alert! What would happen if they got hurt again? What kind of leader would he be?

Getting up from the couch, Robin considered. Should he go against Cyborg's command and follow them, warning them of what might befall them if he didn't say something? After grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen, Robin picked up his communicator. He had to tell them all about Slade, about the injection. He had to warn them. "Titans, come in!"

"Robin, relax, dude," Cyborg said over the communicator. "We can handle it."

"Yeah, go to sleep!" Beastboy said.

"No, you guys have to listen to me!" Robin yelled. "I need to tell you — "

There was sudden scuffling on the other end, a cry of, "Titans, go!" by Cyborg, then the transmission was cut. Robin's mouth fell open, and he was so caught up in the idea of his teammates fighting Slade alone that he dropped his glass on the floor. It shattered, but Robin was already up and moving toward the Tower doors. He had to leave. He had to go and help them. He had to warn them . . .

Robin had forgotten about the glass he'd dropped, but he was painfully aware of its presence when he slipped on the water on the floor and fell hard, screaming in pain as a glass fragment pierced into the palm of his hand. He pulled out the glass and applied pressure to stem the bleeding. He couldn't tend to this wound now. He needed to leave and find the Titans. He needed —


	7. Confusion

Suddenly, alarms went off. The tower began closing off every exit and entrance point as Robin looked around in confusion, wondering what had set the alarms off. Was someone inside the tower? Who had broken in?

"Hello, Robin."

Robin turned, hatred seething in his veins as he saw Slade standing in the room, arms behind his back.

"I see you've been busy redecorating," Slade mused, motioning to the glass on the floor and the hole in the sofa.

"Shut up, Slade," Robin snarled. "Why are you here . . ." Robin suddenly blinked. "Wait, if you're here, what about the Titans? How can you be here and fighting them — "

"My robots will keep them occupied long enough," Slade interrupted. "For now, let's talk about you."

"Yeah, let's talk about me," Robin said. "Let's talk about me taking you down!" With a warrior cry, Robin attacked Slade with everything he had. However, Slade seemed content to simply dodge all of Robin's attacks. "I'm going to stop you, Slade," Robin growled as the two stared each other down. "I'm going to put an end to your plan!"

Slade laughed. "Dear boy, how can you stop me when you don't even know what I'm planning? You never have."

Robin screamed out in frustration, feeling anger blind him as he attacked again, still unable to hit Slade. "What are you going to do to them?!" Robin yelled.

"Do?" Slade asked, his voice still calm despite the fact that he and Robin had been battling and Robin was already winded. "I've already done it, Robin."

Robin froze, and Slade took this opportunity to give him a kick to the side which brought him to the floor.

"Fear not, Robin," Slade said from above him as Robin tried to regain his breath, "you will know soon enough. In fact, it's already happening."

Robin looked up in a panic, throwing several more punches that Slade dodged. "You'll never win!" Robin yelled, finally landing a punch to Slade's shoulder which threw Slade off balance.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Slade said, glancing up at the ceiling as though he were hearing a noise from far-off. "And don't worry. We'll see each other again very soon." Then, Robin saw something in Slade's hand. The villain opened his hand, and Robin could've sworn that he saw a small, seemingly robotic bug flying out of Slade's hand. Robin was so focused on figuring out what this small insect was for that too late did Robin see that Slade held a smoke bomb in his other hand. Slade threw the bomb down and it detonated. Robin could only cough and close his eyes as the smoke filled the room. Somewhere nearby, Robin heard glass breaking, and when the smoke cleared, Robin saw that Slade was gone, and their Tower window, broken. Robin was just about to follow the man out the window when the Tower doors opened and in walked the rest of the team.


	8. Caught

"Man, those Sladebots were a piece of cake . . . " Cyborg's voice trailed off as he looked at the massacre that had become of the living room. "Dude, if you needed to blow off steam that much — "

"It was Slade," Robin panted, getting to his feet.

"Wait, the dude was _here_?" Cyborg asked.

"Man, we missed all the action!" Beastboy said.

"Are you all right, Robin, friend?" Starfire asked, gliding over to Robin and checking his condition.

"I can see the fight didn't go well," Raven said, motioning to the broken window.

Cyborg, however, suddenly fell to his knees. "No! Not the TV, man! Slade, how could you?"

Robin hadn't even noticed that the television had been destroyed during his fight with Slade, but instantly both Cyborg and Beastboy were crying.

"That dude's cruel!" Beastboy wailed. "To destroy the one item in this entire tower that actually — "

"Annoys us out of our minds?" Raven suggested.

" — gives us everything we need!" Beastboy finished with a glare in Raven's direction.

"So, what exactly happened?" Raven asked Robin, while Cyborg and Beastboy held a funeral procession for their broken TV behind them.

"Yes, Robin, do tell," Starfire said.

"Well, Slade came in and . . . we fought. Then he just left," Robin said.

"That's it?" Raven asked skeptically.

"Yeah, but he escaped," Robin said, pointing to the broken window. "If I hurry, maybe I can catch up to him and — "

"Whoa, dude," Cyborg said. "Slow down; you're not going anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Robin said, his chest becoming tight as anger built up again. "Slade was just here, in the Tower, and you're telling me not to chase him down?"

"You couldn't beat him just now," Cyborg said. "And I'm not letting you go off on some wild goose chase when there are more important things to worry about."

"Such as?" Robin asked coolly.

"Like our broken TV!" Cyborg said, turning back to the television and putting flowers on the grave that he and Beastboy had recently dug.

"Well, you worry about the TV, and I'm going to worry about some psychotic madman who's probably planning the destruction of the city as we speak!" Robin yelled.

"Look, I know this is important to you," Raven said. "We all do. But until we know what Slade's up to, we'll be running in the dark. It's useless, Robin. He's gone, and we don't know where his hideout is."

"What do you mean, 'running in the dark'?" Robin asked. "I know what Slade's up to. Last night — " Robin slapped a hand over his mouth, furious that he'd accidentally let his whereabouts yesterday slip.

"Friend, what do you mean?" Starfire asked.

"Well, I, uh, went looking for Slade last night," Robin admitted.

Cyborg folded his arms, and Beastboy gasped loudly.

"You went behind our backs?" Beastboy asked. "That's cold."

"And I fought him," Robin said.

"And by the looks of your condition, I'd say you lost," Raven said.

Robin flushed, feeling anger well up inside him again. "Well, I'm sorry for losing, Raven, but maybe it was because Slade injected me with — "

"He _what_?!" everyone shouted.

"And when were you planning on telling us this?" Cyborg raged.

Robin clenched his fists in anger. Why had he told his teammates that? He knew he could handle it; he didn't need to worry them or put them in danger.

"What if it'd been a drug?" Raven asked. "What if it's killing you as we speak?"

"What if it's some freaky mind-control drug that — " Beastboy was cut off as Raven used her powers to throw him into nearby a wall.

"Look, I can handle it!" Robin said, his voice rising. "It hasn't affected me, and if I can just track Slade down and make him tell me what — "

"You didn't even think of scanning your system?" Cyborg asked.

"Well, I did, but . . . " Robin's voice trailed off.

"Friend, do you not trust us?" Starfire asked.

"He doesn't," Raven said flatly. "He thinks he can go at this alone."

"It's not that I don't trust you!" Robin said. "It's just that you keep calling me obsessed, and after being Slade's apprentice and putting you all in danger, I just — "

"That's it," Cyborg said, powering up his arm blaster and beginning to walk toward the hallway. "This is over."

"Where are you going?" Robin asked, leaping in front of Cyborg.

"I'm going to destroy that room of yours: the one with Slade's mask, the outfit you wore as his apprentice, and all that other stuff," Cyborg said. "This has gotten way too far out of hand, man."  
"You're not touching that!" Robin snarled. "It took me months to put it together — "

"Dude, you're obsessed!" Cyborg shouted. "Beastboy is right! You're not sleeping; you're not eating; you're not even trusting us anymore! I'm taking you off Slade-duty, permanently."

"Don't you dare," Robin's voice was dangerously low now.

"Gonna fight me?" Cyborg asked.

"Don't you all understand?! I'm the only one who cares!" Robin screamed. "The only one who can take him down!"

"He's the one that's taking you down, man!" Cyborg bellowed. "You're up all night, and Slade's exhausting you physically, mentally, psychologically — "

"But you don't care!" Robin bellowed back. "I was his apprentice for . . . well, it seemed like an eternity! I know him the best of all, and you'd dare take me off this case? Do you just not care what he did to you, with those bots? What he did to me?!"

"We do care," Starfire said, approaching Robin with an outstretched hand. "We care about your wellbeing, and just want you happy."

But Robin brushed her off, too angry to return Starfire's gesture. "I need to do this; don't you guys understand?"

"Yeah," Beastboy said from across the room. "We understand that you're just like Slade."

Robin cracked. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"Beastboy's right," Raven said. "Robin, what's wrong with you? You don't trust us, you go behind our backs and leave the tower at three in the morning, you don't even bother telling us that Slade injected you with something . . . "

"Slade and I are nothing alike!" Robin bellowed. "I — "

" _We both know that's a lie," Slade hissed_.


	9. Break

Suddenly, the memory broke Robin. Robin felt anger consume him, and before he was even aware of what he was doing, Robin had taken Cyborg by the arm and thrown him across the room. Instantly Beastboy transformed into an elephant, but Robin leaped over him and dealt a strong bow staff hit to the elephant's back that reverted Beastboy back to human. He swung around and threw the staff at Raven, pinning her to a nearby wall. Then he turned on Starfire, grabbed her by the arm, and threw her to the floor as well. As Robin fought, he wasn't really aware that it was his friends that he was attacking. All he knew was that they were stopping him from doing something that only _he alone_ could do. No one else cared about Slade. No one else cared if he destroyed Jump City and the rest of the world with it.

The battle continued, and somehow or another Robin gained the upper hand against all four of the Titans. Before they knew it, they were down for the count. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Robin was suddenly aware of a pain in his neck, almost like a mosquito bite. Slapping the bug away, Robin jumped back into the battle, determined to stop anyone who stood in the way of him and Slade. Right before his fist connected, however, something inside him changed yet again, and Robin fell to the ground on all fours, panting as he surveyed the scene. Just as swiftly as it'd come, Robin's anger disappeared, and he gasped as he looked upon the scene with new eyes. The Titans were down, out cold, and some of them . . . bleeding. Cyborg's robotic arm was lying on the floor somewhere, Beastboy had a slash on his arm, and Raven looked as though she had twisted, or broken, an ankle.

Robin staggered backward from his friends, horrified at what he'd done. What had happened to him just then? Why had the anger consumed him and caused him to attack his friends? Not only attack them willingly, but become so enraged with his friends that he had almost . . . killed them? To be so brutal, just because they were concerned about his obsession with Slade; what was wrong with him? Robin put a hand over his mouth as his eyes fell on Starfire. Her head was bleeding, and when he went to touch her, she groaned and coughed up a bit of blood. Robin could feel his vision going hazy. What was wrong with him? What had happened? What _had he done_?

As Robin turned away from his friends, he saw the broken window that Slade had escaped from. His friends were now stirring, but Robin knew he had to get to the bottom of this. Whatever Slade had injected him with the previous night, it'd caused him to almost kill his friends. He couldn't stay. He couldn't hurt them again. He wouldn't hurt them again. He would leave, confront Slade, find a cure for whatever had caused him to nearly kill his friends, then come back to beg for their forgiveness. That was all he could do. Before he left, however, Robin quickly checked their pulses to make sure they were all right. A few of them were unconscious, but Robin knew they'd pull through.

But if Robin didn't get out of here and find out what in the world was going on, next time could be much worse. He didn't know what had caused him to attack the Titans, but he didn't want to take the chance and have it happen again. Numbly standing up from checking Starfire's pulse, Robin walked over to the broken Tower window. He glanced once more over his shoulder at his friends, then fled.


	10. The Battle

"Slade, where are you?" Robin called out, unable to hide the slight twinge of desperation in his voice. He hated this. He hated going back to Slade and groveling at the man's feet for answers that they both knew only Slade himself could provide. Robin had been searching Slade's old hideout for the past ten minutes with no luck. On his way here, Robin had been smart enough to leave his tracker somewhere in the city so that his friends might not find him. Not that it would deter them much, but Robin knew he couldn't face them. Not now, not with what he'd just done to them. He had to find Slade and get answers; what if he attacked them again? "Slade, where are you?!"

Robin growled in his throat as he kicked over another gear, wondering where Slade was. Was Slade even here, or was Robin wasting his time? Slade had been here last night, but there was a possibility that he had left long ago. But he had to find Slade. Had to know what that madman had put inside him to cause him to attack his friends. "Slade, where — "

"Welcome back, Robin. I'm surprised it took you this long."

Robin whirled around, coming face-to-face with the villain. "Slade," he growled, pulling out his bow staff. Robin began running toward Slade, but suddenly thought better of it. If he fought Slade, he might not get answers. Stopping his advancement, Robin shrunk his bow staff and pocketed it, still not letting his guard down. "What did you do to me?"

"So, it's finally happened, hasn't it?" Slade asked, taking a casual stance that made Robin think that the man was mocking him. "Did you snap and attack them? Did you . . . kill them, Robin?"

"Shut up and tell me!" Robin yelled.

"Temper, temper, Robin," Slade said, his single eye glowing. "Didn't I tell you that it would be your downfall?"  
Ignoring Slade's words and fed up with the fact that Slade was telling him nothing, Robin attacked. As the two fought, Robin became more and more frustrated and angry. Why did Slade always have to do this to him? Why were the two always playing an endless game of cat-and-mouse; why was Slade continually tricking him and staying a step ahead of him? Fury surged through Robin as he tried again to hit Slade but missed as the man dodged. Why could he never beat Slade? Why could he never —

Suddenly, Robin felt something inside him snap a second time, and he attacked Slade with a new purpose. He was going to take Slade down, permanently. He was sick of these games; he was going to end it here and now. And, somehow magically faster and stronger than before, Robin began making contact. He began hitting the man over and over, not at all shocked by his own speed and strength but simply glad that he was finally making it happen. Within seconds, Slade was on the floor, and Robin pressed a batarang against his throat.

Right before the batarang dealt a final blow, Robin felt a pain somewhere in his neck. Clapping a hand over his neck, Robin vaguely realized that his anger was fading. Robin looked at Slade then, stunned when he met Slade's eye and saw no fear or ire in Slade's gaze. It seemed to be . . . contentment. Satisfaction. What was going on?

"Go ahead, Robin," Slade whispered. "Kill me like the hero that you are."

Dropping the bloody batarang with a scream, Robin staggered backward and fell to the floor, unable to believe that he had almost killed again. What was wrong with him? How could he snap like that, again, just as he had with his friends?

Instantly, Slade's hand was on Robin's throat. He lifted Robin off his feet and pushed him against a wall. "Though you have moral boundaries due to your status as leader of the Teen Titans," Slade said, tightening his grip on Robin's throat, "I am no hero."


	11. We Are Identical

Robin was choking now. He couldn't breathe and he felt his vision starting to go dark. Suddenly, Slade let him go free, and Robin hit the ground on his hands and knees. He looked up at Slade, his vision still hazy. "W-what did you do to me?"

"Look at your hand, Robin," Slade commanded.

Robin frowned, looking at both his palms. He noticed a rip in his glove where the glass had dug into him only an hour or so before, but upon closer inspection, he was surprised, actually dumbfounded, when he found the wound completely healed. There wasn't even a scar in its place. "How did this . . . "

Slade abruptly pulled Robin to his feet, and Robin tensed when he saw Slade lift his hand. For a moment, he thought Slade was going to attack, but he gasped in surprise when he saw Slade take one of his own weapons and tear open the palm of his own hand. Robin stared. "What are you . . . " But Slade said nothing, and when Robin looked back at Slade's now-injured hand, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The bleeding, though severe in the beginning, was already starting to stop. And the _wound itself seemed to be healing_ at such a rapid rate that within seconds, the skin was repaired with no scarring whatsoever.

"Do you understand now, Robin?" Slade asked.

Robin blinked in confusion, still unable to make the connection.

"Increased strength and speed," Slade continued, motioning to the places where they'd previously fought.

Robin looked, nonplused when he saw several dents in metal where he'd tried to strike Slade but missed. There was a crack up a wall where Robin's bow staff had connected. Suddenly seeing Slade's fist in front of him, Robin defended himself and was shocked when Slade missed his face completely, instead burying his fist into the metal wall behind him. Robin saw a large dent in the metal where Slade had struck, then he turned back to Slade, eyes wide.

"I have always said that the two of us are so very much alike," Slade said. "But now . . . we are identical."

Robin fell to his knees, clutching his skull and unable to believe it. "No . . . " he whispered. "N-no, I'm . . . " Robin suddenly leapt to his feet, clutching his bow staff. Slade was wrong; the two of them weren't alike. He had friends; he had the Titans. He was a hero. "I'm not like you, Slade," he growled.

"Attacking again, Robin?" Slade asked, now circling Robin. "Will you ignore what you know to be true and instead try to fight me? In your condition, you won't get very far."

Robin blinked. Outwardly, he snarled, refusing to give in, but inwardly he knew Slade was right. He was too exhausted to take on Slade again. He had to rest, recover, then return to confront Slade. He had to know what had happened to make him suddenly attack his friends. "You can't keep me here, Slade. I'm leaving."

"Who said I was forcing you to be here?" Slade asked.

Robin blinked, confused. "I'm leaving," he repeated.

"Then leave," Slade said.

Robin's grip on his bow staff slackened, but he quickly retightened his grip. "Why aren't you making me — "

"Stay?" Slade asked, finishing Robin's sentence. "Because I don't need to, Robin."

Robin blinked again. "Why did I attack my friends?" he asked, feeling something was up since Slade was actually letting him go. "Why did I almost kill them?"

"Haven't you figured it out?" Slade asked. "The reason is simple: when such a drug is present in a human's system, bouts of heightened emotion cause — "

Slade suddenly disappeared from his spot, and Robin barely had time to gasp before Slade's fist collided with his face. Robin staggered, gripping his bow staff tighter, but a kick to his back sent Robin to the floor.

" — enormous strength and speed along with increased healing capabilities," Slade said, appearing for only a second to kick Robin again before disappearing. "Any such emotional rush, such as hatred or panic, causes adrenaline to flood your system. The drug in your system latches onto the adrenaline glands in your body, making you much stronger while at the same time forcing your current emotional state higher. Such occurrence is a downward spiral of increased strength and heightened emotion until you lose control, so to speak, turn animalistic, and . . . "

Robin thought he heard glass shattering somewhere off to his left, and he suddenly remembered his friends, lying on the ground because of the injuries he'd caused. It made Robin's stomach twist.


	12. Welcome Home

"So leave, Robin," Slade continued, kicking Robin on the stomach and sending him flying through the air to land painfully on his back. "Go back to your worthless friends, knowing that it was you who injured them. Pretend as if nothing happened, but know, in the back of your mind, that the next time you become angry and lose control of your emotions, it might your friends' last day alive."

"Then I won't!" Robin yelled with a groan, pressing a hand to his stomach. "I won't lose control of my emotions!"

"Really, Robin?" Slade said calmly. "You're already shouting. You nearly killed your friends and me just by losing control. Do you think it's something you can manage on your own? Do you think your anger, so second nature to _you_ , Robin, can be controlled that easily?"

"No," Robin groaned. "I-I can do it, Slade."

"You can't," Slade hissed. "On the contrary, Robin, it would be like telling the sun not to rise in the morning."

Robin looked up at Slade in defeat. "I can't hurt them again," he whispered. "What am I supposed to do?" Robin looked back down to the floor, still on his hands and knees and recovering from Slade's blows to his body. He hit the ground in frustration. Suddenly, Robin felt it dawn on him. He couldn't leave. He couldn't return to the Titans unless he wanted to risk killing them again. There was only one thing he could do.

Pressing his head to the floor, Robin heard something fall to the floor in front of him. He looked up, hoping that it wouldn't be what he feared it was. _No_. _Not this_.

"Welcome home, Apprentice."

S

"What was that dude's problem?" Beastboy asked. "Why did he go berserk and attack us like that?"

"I fear that Slade may have gotten to Robin," Starfire said sadly as Raven continued to heal the injury to her head.

"Either that, or it's that injection that Slade gave him," Cyborg said, reattaching his mechanical arm. He slammed both fists into the wall in frustration. "I should've known. I should've sensed that something was off and I should've run a diagnosis before it was too late."

"Don't blame yourself, Cyborg. I didn't sense anything wrong either," Raven said. "Just a large amount of anger. But when Robin lost control like that . . . " her voice trailed off.

"What did you sense, Raven?" Cyborg asked.

"Freaky mind control," Beastboy muttered, receiving a furious look from Raven.

"It felt like Slade," Raven finished.

Cyborg's eyes widened. "What do you think Slade did to him?"

"Whatever Slade injected him with, it's not good," Raven said. "But first things first: we need to find Robin and figure out what's wrong with him."

"The dude's probably working for Slade as we speak," Beastboy muttered.

"That is only because he is trying to protect us!" Starfire said.

"But how are we going to find him?" Raven asked. "Slade's last hideout got destroyed, and Robin's tracker is turned off. If Robin really is with Slade, he could be anywhere."

"Let's go to the old hideout and look around," Cyborg suggested. "At least then we might be able to find some clues."

"Hopefully we won't get attacked again," Beastboy said.

"We'll just keep our guard up," Raven said.

"Come friends; let us find Robin!" Starfire shouted, leading the charge out of the Tower.


	13. Control

Robin hated it. He hated the feel of his new outfit, hated Slade, and hated the man's insignia on his chest. It felt like he was on a leash, and Slade held the end of it.

"Good, Apprentice," Slade said from the shadows. "My colors suit you."

Robin panted, clenching and unclenching his fists as the anger rose. He couldn't lose control. Not this soon, not again.

"Losing control already?" Slade asked.

"N-no," Robin grunted, glaring up at Slade.

"Good," Slade said. "Now follow me."

Robin ground his teeth, regrettably following the man who was the only one who had any answers. "Where are we going?"

"To train," Slade said. "You've become rather weak while I was away. Sloppy, even. Were you slacking while I was gone?"

"I wasn't slacking," Robin spat.

"Of course," Slade continued, leading him into another room. "You fight while I'm away, but you don't really _fight_." Robin opened his mouth to interrupt, but Slade continued. "I see the excitement and competitive spirit in your eyes when we spar and do battle. You have no equal, but against me . . . you strive. You strive to better your techniques and wits, to gain the upper hand and take me down, but you never can. This is the reason why you follow me. This is the reason why you're here."

"I'm only here to find an antidote to what you've given me!" Robin snarled.

"Of course, Robin," Slade said, stopping in the center of the room. Suddenly Slade turned around, and Robin took a defensive stance. "But let me tell you this: there is no antidote."

Robin gasped, his stance faltering. Then his eyes narrowed. "You're lying, Slade."

"Am I?" Slade asked. "Do you think that I would be inflicted with such a drug if it were my choice? Yes, there are advantages to having increased strength and healing capabilities, but the downsides are — "

"There are no downsides for you!" Robin snarled. "You're an assassin! A killer! Why would you care about — "

"Murdering?" Slade asked. "An interesting question, Robin, which, unless you learn from me how to control such a drug, you will find the answer to far too soon for your liking."

Robin could feel his vision start to blur as rage began taking over. Using all the strength he had, he tried desperately to keep it in check. "Y-you're lying, Slade," Robin grunted. "You don't have the drug under control, you're just trying to keep me here — "

"Don't I?" Slade asked, moving forward and facing Robin down.

"No, you don't!" Robin spat. "You're just trying to get me to be your apprentice again — "

"Then let me show you." Slade grabbed Robin by the scruff of his uniform and pulled him close, lifting him off his feet. Robin glared up into Slade's single eye, waiting for something he hoped Slade couldn't do.

"Watch," Slade whispered.

Robin watched Slade, and suddenly, the man's eye darkened and changed. Slade let out a growl, almost an animalistic one, then disappeared from the spot. Robin's feet hadn't even touched the ground before Slade struck multiple times. The pain took Robin's breath away. Usually, when he and Slade fought, their strength levels were somewhat equal, but Robin had never felt punches and kicks this strong. It felt as though his bones were breaking and his internal organs rupturing from the pain. The attacks came from all directions and sides, over and over until Robin was on his knees holding his head in his hands, almost mad from the pain.

He could feel his own emotions taking over, and vaguely wondered if he should let his own self go so that he could stand up to Slade.


	14. Theory

"Losing control as well?" Slade said from behind him.

Robin looked over his shoulder and was met with a kick that nearly broke his neck. He couldn't tell if Slade was holding back or not, but Robin knew that he could take no more of the attacks. Slade either had to stop his attacks immediately, he would have to kill Slade, or Slade would kill him. Still fighting to push down his own emotions, Robin barely dodged one of Slade's kicks. Slade's kick hit the wall behind Robin, and Robin gasped when his kick not only tore a hole through the wall, but brought the entire wall itself down. Still dumbfounded by Slade's strength, Robin wasn't ready when Slade appeared in front of him. Robin tried to punch Slade, but, as though in slow motion, Slade caught the punch and retaliated with a hit so strong that Robin coughed up blood. Then the man took him by the scruff of his uniform and slammed him into a wall that was still standing.

"S-Slade," Robin gagged, feeling himself either about to black out from the pain or turn into whatever Slade currently was himself. "P-please stop."

For a moment, Robin feared that Slade wouldn't stop and would kill him on the spot. Either that, or that Robin would change as well and they would kill each other. But instantly, Slade's eye reverted to its original form. Casually he tossed Robin aside, and Robin landed painfully on the floor, still coughing up blood.

"Do you see, Robin?" Slade asked, walking over to him. "Do you see how I managed to stop right when you thought I was going to kill you?"

"Y-you mean you controlled it the entire time?" Robin gasped.

"Of course," Slade said. "If I ever lost control fully . . . you would be dead."

Robin cringed, knowing Slade was right. If he could almost kill his friends in a fit of rage, then Slade could . . . Robin pushed the thought away, drawing in a single, painful breath. "H-how long did it take you — "

"Years. Decades. Continuously training myself not to lose my temper and allow the drug to take over, and, if willingly lost, to instantly regain control . . . took years of discipline," Slade said, a smirk forming in his voice as he continued. "But for a boy like you, Robin, it would take a lifetime."

Robin sat up, coughing again. "I won't lose control," he growled. "I didn't when we were fighting."

"But you were about to," Slade hissed, and Robin blushed when he realized the man was right. "You were on the verge of snapping, but you realized how dangerous that could have been so instead you begged me to stop. If I had decided not to . . . we might still be fighting."

"You're wrong, Slade," Robin wheezed. "I stayed in control. I'm already learning how to control it."

"Well, here's your chance to test out that theory," Slade said. He pointed at the ceiling, and Robin listened.

"Robin, friend, where are you?" Starfire asked.

"Dude, you in here?" Cyborg asked.

"We just want to talk," Raven said.

Robin gasped, suddenly thinking back to the Tower and his friends' bodies motionless on the floor. "N-no, Slade. Don't make me face them."


	15. Get Away

"I thought you said you were in control," Slade whispered.

Robin blinked hard. When he'd previously been Slade's apprentice, he hadn't wanted to see his friends because he'd been afraid that Slade would kill them using his probes. Now, thinking again to their unconscious bodies strewn about the Tower, Robin didn't even know if he could lay eyes on his friends. What if he lost control again? What if he killed them? "I can't . . . Slade, I'm injured."

"Your injuries will heal, just as your hand did," Slade said. "Are you telling me that you are unable to face them? Are you that weak?"

Robin gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. "I can't face them," he said, not directly answering Slade's question.

"You can either fight them now and show me that you are, indeed, in control as you said," Slade began, "or . . . you can call me master."

Robin gritted his teeth. Which was worse? Going up against his friends and possibly hurting them again, or . . . submitting to his enemy? Robin considered. If he hurt them again, Robin knew he would never forgive himself. But he was stronger than that. He could take it. He could take on his friends, and even if they attacked him or he was forced to attacked them, he wouldn't lose control. Even though Robin wasn't one hundred percent sure of his abilities, it was still better than calling Slade master. He was too proud to do that.

"I'll go face them," Robin said.

"Pride goes before the fall, Robin, but have it your way," Slade said, walking away.

Robin could still hear his friends voices when he slowly walked through a hidden doorway and into the abandoned lair, still recovering from the injuries Slade had given him. As he began walking toward the sounds of his friends' shouts, however, Robin began to doubt himself. As his pride faded, Robin considered abandoning his stupid plan and going back to Slade. What was he doing? He was the Titans' leader, but he was also headstrong, emotional, and . . . he'd almost killed them. Well, not really, but it would've been so easy to take it too far. He'd learned that by going against Slade. There was a possibility that it could happen again.

He couldn't be responsible for their deaths. He had to get out of here before it was too late. Robin could already feel the emotions welling up inside him; the adrenaline taking over, healing his injuries rapidly while at the same time making him unable to see straight . . .

"Robin!" Starfire shouted.

Robin looked up, silently shaking his head as his team began running toward him. "N-no," he whispered. "Go away. Get away from me."

But they weren't listening. Starfire gasped when she saw Robin dressed in Slade's uniform, but, despite this shock of his switching alliances, none of them seemed interested in leaving.

"Man, what's happened to you?" Cyborg asked.

"Y-you don't understand," Robin muttered.

"Yes, we do," Raven said. "You've been injected with some strange substance and you think Slade's the only one who can — "

"You have to leave!" Robin yelled. "Don't you understand?! I almost killed you!"

"But we survived, Robin," Starfire said. "We've come to help you."

"Yeah, the Beastboy is stronger than that," Beastboy said.

Robin growled in frustration. Didn't they get it? "You need to leave now! I-if I lose control again — "

"Calm down, Robin," Cyborg said. "We just came to talk. I want you to come back with us so we can scan you and see what Slade put into your system."


	16. Snap

But Robin was no longer listening. He could feel the panic taking over, and as he thought of injuring his friends a second time, it only drove the panic higher. " _Leave!_ " Robin screamed. " _Get out of here! Don't you understand_ ; _I can't control it_!"

"Robin, friend, please," Starfire said, approaching Robin with her hands outstretched. "We only want to help you."

Robin snapped. With an animalistic scream, he attacked the Titans with everything he had. He wasn't even aware of their screams; he was only aware of himself, screaming on the inside, trying with all his might to calm himself so that he wouldn't attack any longer. It didn't work. It only made things worse, and Robin feared that he would end up killing the Titans. Slade was right; he couldn't control it. He couldn't stop, and now he was —

From far away, Robin felt pain in his neck. He reached up to swat it away, but a harsh blow to his head knocked him through the air and sent him flying into a wall. Suddenly, he felt himself reverting back to normal, and Robin saw up, blinking. Not exactly sure what had happened, Robin looked over and saw Slade standing several yards away with his leg extended. About to ask what happened, Robin heard a nearby groan and turned to see who was groaning. His eyes fell on the Titans. He gasped.

Raven was spasming from the pain of a batarang slash on her stomach; both of Beastboy's legs were sticking out at odd angles. Cyborg looked as though he'd been dismantled, and Starfire . . . her entire face was covered in blood. Robin couldn't believe it, and he froze when he looked at his own clothes and found them covered in blood as well. Their blood. He had actually . . . Robin collapsed to the ground, not even hearing himself scream.

"Are you satisfied?" Slade asked.

Robin looked up, tears forming in his eyes and leaking out from underneath his mask. "Slade, you need to save them!"

Slade said nothing.

"P-please!" Robin begged, looking again at his friends and not even caring that he was groveling in front of his archenemy. "They're dying! _Please_!"

But Slade made no move to help the Titans.

Finally, Robin looked up at Slade, whispering the words he swore that he would never say. " _Please_. _Master_ . . . "

"Good boy." At that moment, Slade pressed a button on the wall behind him. Instantly, two dozen robots flooded the room, six to a Titan, each tending to their wounds. Slade stood and watched the scene, but Robin curled up on the floor, still unable to believe it. He had almost killed them. He. The leader of the Titans.

"A-are they gonna be okay?" Robin asked after several minutes of silence.

"They will survive," Slade said. "But, had I waited a few moments longer to intervene, you would've broken your friend's neck."

Robin followed Slade's gaze, choking up when he saw Starfire. How could he hurt his team? How could he hurt Starfire? Robin let out another sob at the thought, no longer caring that Slade was standing next to him. He'd almost killed them. He'd let his pride and arrogance lead him to believe he could do something that was currently impossible for him. In fact, if it hadn't been for Slade, they would already be dead.

Fury coursed through Robin as he realized it was Slade who had put him in this position. Without really thinking, he rose and faced Slade. "Y-you did this," he growled.

Slade, however, looked amused. "Already out of control again, Robin? I'm surprised."

Robin blinked, knowing that Slade was right. What was wrong with him; couldn't he stay calm for even five minutes? Robin looked over at his friends again, choking up when he saw that their conditions were still incredibly bad. Finally, Robin hung his head in defeat. "Slade, teach me how to control it," he said brokenly. "Please."


	17. Control It

"Quite the obedient apprentice, aren't you?" Slade said. "I'm pleased. All right, Robin. I will grant you your request."

Robin saw Slade leaving but lingered, not wanting to leave his friends in their current condition.

"Your friends will wake up soon," Slade called to him. "Do you really want to be present when they awake?"

Robin set his jaw and turned away from his friends, following Slade. He couldn't see their faces when they woke up. He wasn't that strong. Wordlessly he and Slade left the Titans in the old lair, exiting the room through the same hidden door that Robin had come through half an hour earlier.

"I can see you haven't forgotten all I taught you," Slade said, sinking into a fighting stance.

The pair, now in Slade's training room, stared each other down with identical stances. Robin, remembering the moment he'd fallen into the techniques taught him by Slade, growled under his breath.

"Now let's see how far you can get this time before losing control," Slade said, rushing Robin suddenly.

Anger flared up inside Robin. They'd been training for the past hour, and his sore and injured neck reminded him of all the times he'd already lost control of himself. It didn't even occur to Robin to ask Slade how the man forced him to regain control once he'd lost it, so furious Robin was with himself for continually being unable to do something that seemed second nature to Slade himself. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't he stay in control?

"I won't let you win, Slade!" Robin roared, dodging under Slade's punch and lashing out with a hit of his own. Though Slade dodged the attack, Robin threw a batarang that cut Slade on the shoulder.

"Not perfect, Robin," Slade said. "You never were."

Robin growled. Though he was very aware that Slade was doing this on purpose, trying to make him angry, it was working. Each time Slade mocked him or reminded him of the way he'd injured his friends, Robin couldn't take it. Slade made it so easy to hate him, and remembering the Titans' fatal injuries made it so easy for Robin to hate himself. He now felt panic whenever he thought of the Titans' faces, injured and dying. Robin was even frightened of himself, frightened of what he would do if he lost control.

And now, once again, it was happening. With a roar, Robin launched himself towards Slade. Right before his fist made impact, Slade's eye darkened as he, too, changed, dodging at the last second. Missing Slade's face, Robin punched a hole straight through the steel wall. With a roar, he yanked his fist out and looked around. Where was Slade? Where was that horrible villain who'd done this to him?

Robin didn't even care anymore. As his anger climbed, he felt satisfaction in the strength that he now possessed. If he managed to hit Slade, even once, it would be all over and . . .

A searing pain in his neck followed by a painful hit to the back sent Robin flying, and before he knew it he crashed into the opposite wall, feeling his anger subside and his breathing return to normal.

"That was the tenth time you've lost control," Slade said calmly from the center of the room. "I'm disappointed."

Robin glared at the man. "I don't " — here Robin spat out blood — "care that you're disappointed! Why can't I control it?"

"I could ask you the same question," Slade mused. "Why can't you control your emotions?"


	18. Job to Do

Robin opened his mouth, then closed it and sighed. Slade was right; why couldn't he get this under control? Why couldn't he, for once, stay calm and actually break the control of the drug himself instead of completely losing it and forcing Slade to do it for him?

"You will learn, Robin," Slade said, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder which Robin quickly swatted away, "but it will take time. So. Much. Time."

"Once I have this under control," Robin said darkly, "I'll take you down. Count on it, Slade."

"That is, if you ever manage such a feat," Slade said.

Robin gritted his teeth, refusing to lose control yet again. Instead, he pushed past Slade and left the training room. "I'm going to shower," he muttered.

"I want you back here in ten minutes. I have a job for you," Slade said.

"I won't," Robin said.

"You will," Slade said.

"I won't!" Robin said, his voice escalating.

"You will, Apprentice," Slade repeated, his voice never rising in the slightest.

" _I w_ — " Robin stopped, shaking with anger. An image of the Titans bodies on the floor stopped him. He breathed for several moments, then remembered why he was here. He bowed his head and nodded. "I will."

"Good, Apprentice," Slade said. He walked toward Robin, grabbing him underneath the chin and forcing it up so that their eyes met. "But this time, try not to enjoy it so much."

Robin snarled and pulled himself out of Slade's grasp. Storming out of the room, Robin punched the door on the way out, leaving a gaping hole in the door. He blinked, stunned, then growled in frustration and walked away, hearing Slade laughing behind him.

* * *

Robin sat on top of a building, waiting for the guard to turn a corner before jumping and catching himself on a light pole directly above the main door of the building. Reaching into his — Slade's — utility belt, he threw what seemed to be a small pebble next to the door. Moments later the "pebble" gave off an electrical shock, effectively disabling any cameras inside the main entrance while simultaneously opening the electrical lock on the door. Robin jumped down from his perch and opened the door, entering the building just as the guard was returning. He went through the main hallway and entered the first door on his left, sliding underneath several trip wires before arriving at another door and opening it.

"Robin."

Robin pressed a finger on the communicator in his ear. "I'm in, Slade."

"Where are you going?"

Robin blinked. "I'm getting what you asked me to!" he whispered.

"Did you study the map provided before you left?" Slade asked.

Robin bit his lip. While studying the map, he'd become so angry with Slade for injecting him and making him his apprentice again that he'd torn the map to pieces before even looking it over once. "Yes," he lied.

"You're on the wrong side of the building," Slade said. "You're in the third hallway; you need to be in the fifth."

"I know, I know," Robin said.

"Apparently you don't, Apprentice," Slade said. "I didn't know such an easy job would be so tough for you."

"Shut up!" Robin growled.

"Temper, apprentice," Slade said. "Go back to the hallway you exited, and enter the third door on your right."


	19. Infiltration

Robin nodded, sliding under the wires again and returning to the hallway. After making sure the coast was clear, he opened the third door on his right.

"Now enter the vent above you and go two hundred yards forward. Once you've gone the appropriate distance, kick out the bottom of the vent and drop. The object I require will be in front of you," Slade said.

Robin entered the vent and crawled exactly two hundred yards. Positioning himself in a crunch, he kicked out the bottom of the vent. The vent clanged to the ground below him, and Robin froze, wishing he'd cut the vent out placed it next to him instead of making so much noise.

"You've stopped moving," Slade said.

"I'm making sure I don't get caught," Robin said, dropping to the ground and facing the object he needed. Barely had he grabbed the blaster when a door on his right opened. Robin turned and found him face-to-face with a guard. The guard gasped, instantly tapping into his intercom.

"We have an intruder — "

Robin knocked the guard out in seconds, feeling his panic rise as an alarm somewhere went off. He had to leave. If more guards came, if the Titans showed up, if he lost control again . . . he could kill everyone in Jump City.

"Robin, your adrenaline is rising. You're losing control again," Slade said over the intercom. "Calm down."

"I-I'm trying!" Robin choked, starting to breath faster.

"Remember what I taught you," Slade said.

"You mean mocking me?!" Robin spat, his emotions becoming stronger. Suddenly, the intercom cut out, and Robin panicked even more. "I'm sorry . . . I mean — I don't remember!" he cried.

"Focus," Slade said after a moment. "Breathe. Calm down."

Robin closed his eyes, focusing only on his breathing. He imagined himself and the Titans, spending time together and laughing, but that image twisted in his mind as it was replaced with the Titans' bodies on the floor of Slade's old lair. His breath caught.

"Calm down, Apprentice," Slade said.

"I-I can't!" Robin choked, falling to his knees. "H-help me!"

The intercom cut completely, and Robin suddenly felt alone. The panic was driving him crazy, and once it started it was almost impossible to stop . . . the techniques Slade taught him weren't helping in the slightest; he was starting to lose control . . .

Right at that moment, Robin felt the same pain in his neck as before. His body spasmed once, then Robin felt a painful blow to the head. Instantly, Robin opened his eyes, normal now, finding himself on the floor. He rubbed his head painfully, then sat up. "Slade? What happened? How did I regain control?"

But Slade didn't answer Robin's question. "The guards are coming," Slade said. "I suggest you leave unless you'd rather take them down yourself."

Robin pocketed the weapon without a second thought and escaped through the vent he'd arrived by. He managed to make it through the hallway without much trouble, but when he arrived at the front door of the building, Robin was faced with at least two dozen guards. Not wanting to attack them if he didn't have to, Robin held his breath and threw down a smoke bomb, escaping the building in the confusion.

Robin looked around as he exited the building, looking around and desperately hoping he wouldn't see the Titans. Not finding them outside the compound, Robin sighed in relief then fled through the city, constantly looking over his shoulder and fearing that every rat was Beastboy and every shadow was Raven. Once he had gotten back to Slade's lair, Robin entered and nearly collapsed. "I made it," Robin said, unable to cover up his relief as he handed the blaster to Slade. "I'm back."

"I see your friends didn't show up," Slade said. "Probably still recovering from the injuries you gave them."

Robin hissed out his despair before looking away. He hated it, but Slade was right. "Show me," Robin said suddenly, looking into Slade's eye. "Show me that they're okay and didn't die from their injuries. Please," he added for good measure.

After a moment, Slade pressed something on the console behind him. Half a dozen screens lit up, showing his friends waking up after being cared for by the robots. They got up slowly, but Raven got up the quickest, rushing around to heal them all. Though he couldn't hear what they were saying, it made him incredibly happy to see that they were alive and well. He watched the video for several more minutes, simply watching them talk, before they ran out of Slade's lair. "They're okay," he sighed, unable to suppress a grin.

"No thanks to your actions, Robin," Slade said.

Robin looked up, glaring less at Slade and more at himself. "I'll control this one day, Slade. Just you wait."

"But until then, _Apprentice_ ," Slade said, stressing the word, "you will be under me."


	20. Stand Down

"Man, that was scary," Beastboy said, flopping down on the couch back at the Tower.

"He almost killed us," Cyborg said. "What happened to him?"

"He lost control of whatever he was trying to keep control of," Raven said. "He was losing control when we talked to him. We shouldn't have tried to help him."

"But Robin needs help!" Starfire said. "We must help him!"

"Well, we were the ones who needed help," Beastboy said.

"It's still amazing that we pulled through," Cyborg said. "I thought we were all goners."

"What was that thing that took him over?" Starfire said. "Robin wouldn't act like that normally; what possessed him?"

"I couldn't tell," Raven said. "Whatever it was, his high emotional state only made it worse, possibly triggered it outright."

"Well, he totally zonko flipped," Beastboy said, rubbing his leg again. "I still can't believe that I'm able to walk."

"We need to figure out what that stuff is," Cyborg said. "I ran a diagnostic on him right before we got attacked, but . . . I lost the information in the fight."

"We almost lost our lives," Raven said.

"But if Robin is being taken over by such things, we need to cure him of it," Starfire said.

"You got that right," Cyborg said. "If he's staying with Slade against his will, just like before, we need to realize that he's not really our enemy. Slade's the real enemy."

"Slade's the enemy, but . . . " Raven began.

Their conversation was interrupted as sirens in the tower went off, alerting everyone to crime happening somewhere in the city.

"Titans, go!" Cyborg yelled.

When the Titans arrived, on Cyborg's order they all stood away from the building, hiding in the shadows and waiting for the criminal to emerge.

"Raven, coming in," Raven said.

"Beastboy here," Beastboy said.

"This is Starfire," Starfire said.

"And Cyborg," Cyborg said. "Anyone see anything?"

"Nothing yet," Raven said.

"Wait, I see something!" Starfire yelled though her communicator. "It is . . . Robin! It is Robin! Robin!"

Cyborg turned and saw Raven using her powers to stop Starfire from rushing to apparently hug Robin.

"We can't attack," Raven said flatly.

"Why not?" Beastboy said, already in the process of changing into a rhinoceros. "He's a criminal! He stole that blaster!"

"Robin is our friend!" Starfire said, struggling to get out of Raven's Zinthos grip. "We must help him! We must talk to him!"

"Don't any of you remember what happened last time?" Raven asked, stopping Cyborg himself from attacking through her inflection alone. "He almost killed us. If he loses control of that drug that's inside him again, this could be World War III. Don't you remember how strong he was? We weren't able to take him down last time, and I doubt we'll fare any better trying again. Look at how many guards there are; do you really want innocent people hurt? What about the rest of Jump City? Do you want them killed?"

Cyborg was aware that Beastboy had stopped his transformation and was now human again.

"What are we supposed to do, then?" Beastboy asked.

"We do nothing. We let him get away, at least this time," Raven said.

"But he stole a blaster," Cyborg said.

"It's _just_ a blaster," Raven said, her voice rising. "Just a hunk of metal and some lasers!"

"Should we follow him?" Starfire asked, sinking back into her hiding spot after being thoroughly convinced by Raven's words.

"No," Raven said. "Look at how on-edge Robin is. He's already barely staying in control. I don't know why he didn't, or couldn't, kill us last time, but I don't want to push him over the edge with all these people around. Now that we have a small insight as to what we're dealing with, it's too risky. We should just leave him alone and try later."

"Wow," Cyborg said, watching Robin race away from the scene. "I've never willingly let a criminal get away before."

"There'll be more times to confront him," Raven said.

"See you soon, Robin," Starfire said sadly.

The group stood in awkward silence until Beastboy finally spoke.

"Well . . . " Beastboy began, shrugging and looking at the rest of them, "now that we have to wait, who's up for some pizza?"


	21. Lunchtime

Robin staggered to his feet as he and Slade once again continued their training session.

"Poor, very poor," Slade said. "Can't you do any better?"

Robin growled and attacked again, vainly trying to make contact. For some reason, ever since he'd woken up a few hours ago, Robin felt incredibly weak. He chalked it up to being Slade's apprentice and not sleeping the night before, but it didn't seem to make sense. This was a different kind of weakness.

As he and Slade continued fighting, Robin felt a strange sensation come over him. Suddenly, almost abruptly, his mind stopped focusing on his training. He also stopped thinking about Slade and the Titans. For some reason, he was unable to concentrate on anything else except one thing: food. Robin's mouth watered as he thought back to the pizza at the Tower. Crispy pepperoni, steamy sausage, stretchy cheese, it was so delicious. The breakfasts they consumed, Starfire's drinking mustard, Raven's herbal tea, Cyborg's eggs and bacon, and Beastboy's obsession with all things tofu . . .

"Focus, Robin," Slade said.

A sweep under the legs brought Robin down, and he stumbled to his feet, already panting.

"You seem unable to focus," Slade mused as he brought Robin to his knees for the tenth time in the past five minutes. "Is there a problem?"

"N-no." At that moment, Robin's stomach decided to give a large growl. With a growl himself, Robin rushed Slade, but Slade caught his fist.

"It seems there is a necessity to take care of," Slade said, pushing Robin away. He began to walk out of the room. "Come."

Begrudgingly, Robin followed. He wondered how easy it would be for him to attack Slade while his back was turned. If he could just get one good kick in, he might be able to knock Slade out. After that, he could escape and . . . kill the Titans. Robin shook his head, turning back to glare at Slade but gasping when he saw that the man was no longer in front of him. Robin whirled around, trying to locate the madman.

"Calm down, Robin."

Robin turned with a snarl, looking and seeing Slade standing next to a table. Robin noticed that Slade had a tray of food in his hands, and this Slade dropped on the table in front of Robin. Robin glared at the tray. "What's that?"

"Food," Slade said.

"What for?"

"Unless I am mistaken," Slade began, "humans require sustenance every twenty-four hours. Would you rather go without?"

Robin glared again at the tray of food Slade had produced. He didn't think the food was poison, but he also wouldn't put it past Slade to remove the food from its spot if Robin refused. Robin, still considering, felt his stomach growl again as it begged him to give in. Wordlessly, Robin sat down and took a bite of food. After a single bite, however, Robin's ravenous hunger took over, and he began devouring every morsel on his plate. He could hardly remember the last time he'd eaten. It seemed so long ago, but wasn't it just yesterday? The day before? How long had he been here, anyway? To Robin, all the days seemed to run together in his mind. Straining his brain, Robin remembered eating breakfast the day after Slade injected him. That was the day he first lost control. Tossing the memory aside and trying not to think about his injured friends, Robin focused solely on his meal. He didn't care what the food tasted like; nothing could distract him from filling his empty stomach.

Except when Slade returned with his own tray of food and sat opposite Robin.


	22. You Eat?

Robin was unable to stop his mouth from gaping. He blinked, dropped his fork, and stared. "Y-you . . . eat?" he asked, his voice cracking. Robin could've sworn he saw the man smirk.

"Life's full of surprises, isn't it?" Slade asked.

There were few things in Robin's short life that were able to shock him. His parents falling to their deaths. Bruce Wayne taking him in. And knowing that Slade ate. Regularly.

After several moments, Robin recovered from his astonishment. "So," Robin continued carefully, trying not to stare while inwardly wondering how in the world Slade managed to consume any food whatsoever, "you're human?"

"I believe the Titans also consume nutrients," Slade said. "They are not human."

Robin turned back to his food and ate a few more bites, but he was unable to prevent himself from looking back at Slade. How did Slade eat with a mask on? Robin soon got his answer. Casually reaching up, Slade undid a lock on the front of his mask and swung the mouth-portion of his mask open like a hinge, freeing his mouth to eat.

Robin's eyes, now as large as the bird he was named after, widened even more as he stared. Though Slade sat in the shadows, Robin could see the outline of what appeared to be lips. Robin was unable to hold in a gasp of surprise. "You have a mouth!" Robin shouted, staring. For the first time in his life, Robin saw Slade's mouth twitch upward in what seemed to be a sneer. Fascinating.

"Excellent observation skills," Slade mused. "You should be a detective."

Robin blushed and turned back to his food. He still couldn't believe that Slade actually ate. That, and he had a mouth to eat with. Robin didn't know why, but he always considered Slade to be a biomechanical super-being who needed neither sleep, nor food, nor water. Maybe that was because of all of the robots Robin had been fighting, but this realization was a bit of a revelation for Robin. Slade was human. Well, maybe not human, but he ate food. Whatever that made him, Robin didn't know. After a few moments of silence, Robin continued the conversation. "Doesn't your mask make it hard to eat?"

Slade's single eye glanced over at him. "Does your mask make it difficult to see?"

Robin, understanding what Slade was getting at, dropped the question instantly. The two finished their meal in silence. Setting his fork down, Robin rose from his seat, no longer feeling as though he were going to pass out.

"Training is over," Slade said, finishing his meal and putting the mouth of his mask back into place. "Retire for the night."

With a nod, Robin left the scene, still recovering from the shock of the possibility that Slade might be human. He dwelt on the thought for a few more moments before opening the door to the bedroom Slade had assigned him. He sank down on the bed, not at all contented but at least no longer ravenous. The food had been good, but it hadn't been as good as what he got at the Tower. Still, it was probably more nutritious. The day's events along with Slade's rigorous training suddenly crashed over Robin like a truck. Groaning out his own tiredness, Robin laid down on his bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Robin awoke with a scream, panting as he came to his senses. He turned and batted his pillow in frustration, sending it flying through the air and bursting upon impact against the opposite wall. Another nightmare, just the same as before. His friends, dying by his own hand, and he himself, satisfactorily delivering the final blow. Then there was Slade, laughing in his ear and calling him weak.

With a frustrated sigh, Robin got up, dressed, and went to find Slade. He had to train. He had to get better. Once he was fairly good at controlling this drug . . . or his emotions . . . whichever came first, he could escape. Unfortunately, Slade was the only one who could help him. Last night, Robin considered leaving and going back to his friends, explaining to them what had happened and what he had to do in order to train and control the drug. But he'd soon abandoned that idea since Slade was the only one also affected with the drug. Slade was the only one strong enough to take him down and do what was necessary when he lost control. Robin knew he had to stay, at least for the time being. He didn't want to return to his friends prematurely and try to have them help him through his condition only to end up losing control and . . . Robin pushed the thought aside as he walked into Slade's control room called out for the man. "Slade?"

"Good morning, Robin."

Robin turned suddenly. He still couldn't get used to how Slade could seemingly appear from the shadows as though he were ethereal himself. "Train me, Slade. Now."

"I've never known an apprentice to command his master," Slade said silkily. "You look tired, Apprentice. Did you sleep well?"

"I slept fine," Robin said, blinking. Why did Slade care about his wellbeing?

"I heard screaming," Slade said, his single eye narrowing in what seemed to be a sneer.

Robin was unable to hold back a blush. "I slept fine," he growled. "Can we train now?"

Slade turned away from him. "No. We will not train today, Robin."

"What? Why?!"

"Because I do not train a lying apprentice," Slade said, leaning toward him. "Tell me: did you sleep well?"

"N-no," Robin growled, glaring up at Slade. Then, when Slade said nothing, Robin knew he had to continue. "I had . . . nightmares." Robin blushed with embarrassment.

"Understandable. Your truthfulness will be rewarded," Slade said. "Come, Apprentice. It's time to train."

Robin followed Slade willingly. He was itching to train and get better. Though he'd messed up ten times yesterday, perhaps he could get it down to three. Or four. Or maybe he could at least not mess up more than ten times.

"Ready, Apprentice?" Slade asked.

Robin nodded, falling into a fighting stance identical to Slade's. "Yes."

The training began, just as much of a mental workout as it was a physical one. Pushed to the limits of his anger and hatred, Robin tried vainly to control himself before cracking under the pressure and succumbing to his own rage. Time and time again Slade let him reach the breaking point only to bring him back to the real world.

"Pathetic, Robin," Slade said as Robin once again recovered. "At this rate, how long do you think it will take you to master your own emotions?"

Robin slammed his fist on the ground, cracking it. Slade was right. Maybe he would never be able to see his teammates again. Maybe he would never control himself. Maybe he would be stuck being Slade's apprentice for the rest of his life. Again Robin snapped, attacking Slade with everything within him.

Right before Robin's entire vision went hazy with rage, he saw Slade move in front of him. He was vaguely aware of something in Slade's hand as Slade moved forward and hit Robin on the neck. Robin felt something pierce into his skin, then saw the man withdraw his hand, an injection held in his palm. "W-what was that?" Robin asked as he once again recovered.

"Contrary to popular belief, I am unable to read minds," Slade said. "Illuminate your question, Apprentice."

"W-what was that stuff? What did you inject me with?" Robin asked, glaring up at Slade.

Slade looked at his hand. "This?" he asked, holding out a vial of dark blue liquid.

Robin tensed up, furious with himself for never realizing that this was how Slade kept control of him. "Y-you said there was no cure!" he screamed, pounding his fist on the ground and fissuring the entire room. "You lied to me! There is a cure!"

"On the contrary, Robin," Slade said calmly, beginning to circle Robin. "This is no cure. This is simply a preventative. A temporary stabilizer."


	23. Looking for This?

Robin blinked, his mind racing. "That stabilizes my condition? Makes me not lose control?"

"No matter how far gone you are, this will do its job," Slade said.

"A-and you carry those around with you all the time?" Robin asked, already forming a plan in his head.

Slade's single eye narrowed, and Robin feared that Slade was already catching on to Robin's plan. "Usually."

Robin blinked. If he could just get one of those vials from Slade and sneak it to his friends, there was a possibility that his friends could tamper with its components and come up with a cure. If only —

At that moment, Slade attacked him. Robin should've seen it coming since they were still training, but the hit caught Robin totally by surprise. He slammed into the opposing wall and sunk to the ground.

"If you think you can catch me off-guard, Robin, you're wrong," Slade said from above him. "The only way for you to ever obtain one of these vials is to — " Right then, Slade dropped a vial in front of Robin and crushed it with his boot — "lose control. And if I'm dead, who will stop you? Who will take you down and prevent you from killing your precious friends?"

Robin's breath hitched as he thought Slade's words over. Above him, Slade laughed and left the training room.

"Training will resume tomorrow at nine hundred hours. Do not be late."

Robin stood up, still forming a plan in his head. So there was hope for him. Unable to suppress a grin, Robin couldn't believe his luck. He now knew that Slade created stabilizers to keep him under control. All that was left to do was to steal one and smuggle it to the Titans. Now all he had to do was wait. Wait, be patient, then strike when Slade's guard was down. "Slade, you _will_ lose," Robin whispered before walking out of the training room.

Still giddy from his realization, Robin walked into Slade's control room, wondering where Slade was. If he could just catch Slade with his guard down . . .

Looking around, Robin noticed several small gadgets near Slade's control panel. Walking over to inspect them, he recognized two of them right away. One was a small, microscopic bug, and the other was his earpiece that allowed him communication with Slade. Both pieces of technology were partially dismantled, and Robin picked both of them up for better inspection. Inside the both the bug's "stomach" and earpiece itself was a small compartment. Inside the compartment was a small vial that was empty.

Robin frowned, then blinked, deciding to test out a theory. He inspected the bug closer and saw that inside its mouth was a proboscis that was actually a needle. Slowly, as Robin realized that the earpiece contained a small needle as well, it all fell into place. Both back at the tower and during his first mission Slade had given him, these two items had kept Robin from losing control. He thought back to when Slade had released a microscopic insect inside the tower, and he remembered Slade's giving him an earpiece for communication before his first mission. Whenever he'd felt that prick on his neck . . . that must've been the stabilizer!

Placing both objects back in the exact places he'd found them, Robin froze when he thought he heard footsteps. After several seconds, the footsteps disappeared, and Robin looked over to where he'd heard them coming from, wondering if he should run or risk getting caught. As his eyes scanned the room, however, Robin saw Slade's utility belt in the corner of the room. Robin's heart leapt; could he really be this lucky?

Staring at Slade's utility belt for several more seconds to make sure that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, Robin sprang into action. Moving as Batman had taught him all those years ago, Robin slunk toward the utility belt, his eyes and ears alert for more footsteps while he examined Slade's belt, looking for the dark blue vial he needed.

"Looking for this?"


	24. A Burn

Robin gasped and turned, seeing Slade in front of him with his usual garb on, no utility belt present. Slade casually held up a vial of the substance Robin needed, and Robin backed away in defeat, carefully placing Slade's utility belt back down. He'd been caught; how could he be this stupid?! "I . . . wasn't — "

Suddenly Slade rushed forward and pinned Robin to the wall by placing his arm on Robin's neck. "This will not be as before, dear Apprentice," Slade hissed. "I will not leave such vital substances out in the open to be obtained by someone like you. This will not be located or duplicated by your worthless friends. This time, Robin, your fate is sealed."

Robin slid to the ground, coughing and gasping when Slade left him go.

"If this occurs again, Apprentice," Slade said, "you may need discipline. Disobedience will be punished."

Robin only nodded, not daring to say anything to Slade. Slade left the room, and Robin, no longer feeling up to searching the compound for Slade's "temporary stabilizer," left the room and went to bed. As he entered his bedroom, Robin sank onto his bed, deep in thought. Slade always kept those vials on his person, this Robin knew, but was it possible, no, it was necessary, that Slade keep extras somewhere here. Somewhere in this compound sat Robin's key to freedom. All he had to do was find them. As Robin drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the day's training, he felt determination well up inside him. Tomorrow, he would start looking.

* * *

Before Robin had begun his search early the next morning, Robin instinctively knew where he would find the vials that Slade possessed. And, after searching nearly the entire compound, Robin found that his instinct was right. The only place left to search was Slade's room. Growling under his breath as he walked towards Slade's room, Robin knew that he had an hour left until training was supposed to begin. If the room was empty, he could search it. If the room wasn't empty, he could lie to Slade and tell him that he wanted to start training early. Slade would buy it. Hopefully.

Moving quieter than even his predecessor, Robin inched down the hallway until he stood in front of Slade's room. Walking forward, Robin smacked his nose into the door when it refused to open. Of course Slade would have it locked. Frustrated by his painful nose, Robin punched the door. His strength due to the drug still surprised him, and this time was no exception. He punched a hole right through Slade's door, then blinked once, not knowing whether to freak out or be excited. Looking through the hole he'd made, Robin found the room empty. He peeled back the metal to make a hole large enough for him to climb through, then he stepped into a room he'd never been in before.

Robin looked around, surprised at the bareness of the room. There was a bed in one corner, an end table at the other, and . . . nothing. Robin didn't know whether to be surprised by this or angry. The room seemed to be empty of everything except the essentials, so maybe . . . no, the vials _had_ to be in here! Knowing Slade, they were hidden somewhere. Robin began a thorough search of the room, first checking under the bed. He stood up and blushed at himself; if Slade was stupid enough to hide such important items underneath his bed, Slade wouldn't be winning at the moment. If Slade were this stupid, Robin wouldn't be his apprentice.

Robin silently continued his search. He checked each corner of the room, along all the walls, and even the door frame of the door he'd practically destroyed. Robin sighed. Slade had hid the vials well. Wherever they were, Robin couldn't find . . .

At that moment, Robin caught his leg against Slade's end table and tripped, falling to the ground in a heap. He was about to unleash his anger on the innocent end table when a click alerted Robin's ears. Turning, he saw a disguised drawer slowly slide out of the wall behind him, containing exactly what he needed. Robin held back a shout of joy as he raced over to the drawer, staring at the vials.

In the drawer, four different colored vials sat. He recognized the first as dark blue. That was Slade's "temporary stabilizer," but Robin didn't recognize the other three vials. One was dark green, another was light red, and the final, on the end, was clear and looked as though it held either water or nothing at all. Robin's hands trembled as he reached out toward the vials, unable to contain his joy. This was it; Slade was finished!

"Urgh!" Robin pulled away from the drawer as a sudden force field appeared around the drawer, painfully shocking him and causing him to draw back. His gloves were singed horribly, and Robin could feel the pain in his fingertips. Hardly deterred by the pain, Robin tried twice more to force his way through the force field, but the force field held as the pain steadily became too great. He couldn't do it. Robin almost screamed in frustration. Right in front of him was his cure; his _saving grace_. But it was out of reach behind a force field.

Robin's head suddenly shot up as he heard far-off footsteps. His adrenaline shot through the roof as he knew who was approaching. Fighting to stay in control, Robin flew back to Slade's end table and gently kicked the table, trying to re-hide the drawer of vials. Instead of re-hiding the drawer, however, the end table in front of him suddenly opened up like a sliding door, revealing some sort of blueprints directly underneath the table's surface. Robin stared at the blueprints, his eyes falling on a single sentence that caused him to gasp out loud.

 _The antidote, when properly combined with its components, turns clear_. . .

Wait, so there was an antidote? Robin glanced over his shoulder at the drawer which contained all four vials, including the vial possessing clear liquid. Realization crashed over Robin like a flood. Slade had been lying! There _was_ an antidote! It didn't matter what the other vials did, all that mattered was that Robin, somehow, had to get ahold of this clear vial, inject himself with it, and —

The steps were frighteningly close now. Either through skill or through luck, Robin re-hid both the drawer containing the vials and the paper containing the antidote. Robin leaped out of Slade's room, turning and pulling the metal back towards itself so that it merely looked like Robin had punched the metal in a fit of anger.

Since Slade's room was at the end of a deserted hallway, Robin began walking back toward where he came, tensing up as he passed Slade. The man passed by him, and Robin was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Slade suddenly grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand up to his face.

"What did you do?" Slade asked coolly.

Robin blinked, looking up at Slade and trying to not display any fear. His hands were almost healed, but not all the way. That, and his gloves didn't heal themselves either. "I-I . . . burned myself."

"Really," Slade said, his voice becoming quieter by the second.

"Y-yes," Robin said, Slade now gripping his wrist so tightly that it was becoming quite painful. "I just — "

"Were you looking for the vial?" Slade asked.

Robin grimaced up at Slade, his hand now numb. "No."

Slade's eye narrowed. Suddenly, Slade swung Robin around by the wrist and slammed him into the wall. Robin felt his wrist crack upon impact and opened his mouth in a silent scream. He fell to the ground, gasping and trying vainly to draw in a breath. The pain was driving him mad, and he could already feel his adrenaline rising and his mind starting to lose control . . .

"Here, Robin," Slade said. "This should help."

Robin felt something pierce his neck, and he knew it was the stabilizer. No longer feeling himself about to snap, Robin looked up at Slade as best he could. Slade hadn't given him a stabilizer to help with his injuries. Slade knew full-well that, after the change from sane into madness took place, healing abilities went up tenfold. Slade hadn't prevented Robin from changing because he cared; Slade did so to prolong Robin's pain.

"Come, Apprentice," Slade said.

Robin slowly climbed to his feet, shakily following Slade. "Where a-are we going?" he grimaced.

"Training."


	25. Antidote

Robin panted as he walked after Slade, knowing instinctively that this training session would be one hundred times worse than all the others. But when the training began minutes later, Robin realized he'd been wrong. It wasn't just a hard training session; it was impossible.

Not only did the training go on far longer than it usually did, but Slade pushed Robin's mind and body to the breaking point. Slade continually pressured Robin's broken wrist, which was bad enough, but the mental strain was torment. Slade humiliated him, continually reminded him of his injuring the Titans, and, when Robin lost control over and over, revealed to him how weak he was.

After what seemed like days, the training ended. Slade left, and Robin painfully dragged himself into a sitting position, panting and putting his head back. At least the numerous times he'd lost control had sped up his healing process. That, and he'd gotten off quite easily with Slade. Considering the fact that he'd found the antidote to the drug inside him, he was surprised that Slade hadn't killed him on the spot. Still, the painful pulsing of his wrist reminded Robin to not disobey Slade again anytime soon.

"Apprentice."

Robin looked up, trying not to glare at Slade as he used such a filthy term to refer to him. He had to stay calm. He couldn't lose control. "Yes?"

"I have a job for you," Slade said. "Come."

Pushing down another twinge of anger, Robin got up and followed Slade.

"I'm sure you know the layout of this building, Robin," Slade said, pointing to the screen on his control room.

Robin looked, flushing with anger as he recognized Wayne Enterprises. "Yes," he growled. "I know it."

"Good," Slade said. "You are looking for technology, a bomb, located on the fifth floor, second hallway, third door in the building. Do you think you can manage?"

Robin nodded.

"Then begin," Slade said.

Robin walked away, breaking into a run. How he hated this! How he hated working for Slade and doing everything the man told him to do! Right before he left the compound, however, Robin halted. Sudden curiosity overcame him. If Slade kept the vials in his room, odds were that he ran out every so often. If he ran out, when did he have more created? Was it when Robin was sleeping or . . . was it when Robin was out fulfilling one of Slade's jobs?

Sneaking back to the control room, Robin looked around when he saw Slade wasn't present. Where had Slade gone? Sudden footsteps returning to the control room made Robin stiffen, and he was barely able to sink into the shadows before Slade walked in. Slade stood still for several moments, then turned his head in Robin's direction. Robin held his breath, afraid that he would be caught, but after a minute Slade turned and walked out, dropping something in the garbage can on his way out. Robin let out his breath, dizzy from lack of oxygen.

Listening for another moment, Robin moved out of the shadows and went to inspect the object Slade had trashed. When he saw what was inside the garbage can, Robin gasped. No! It couldn't be! But it was!

It was a vial of clear liquid!

Robin gently lifted up the vial, staring at it and felt as though the sun had shone down on him. How lucky could you get? This was it! It was the cure! Slade had finally let his guard down and slipped up. Now Robin was going to conquer.

"Robin, why are you here?"

Robin, not even hearing Slade's approach, whirled around, pocketing the vial. "I . . . was just rechecking the hallway I was supposed to take," he said.

Slade's eye narrowed, and Robin feared that Slade didn't believe him. "Leave. Now."

Robin nodded, taking off without a glance over his shoulder. That'd been close. Too close. Slade had almost caught him. Still breathing hard when he reached Wayne Enterprises, Robin decided to not inject himself with the substance yet. No, it was better to wait until he was far away from Slade to do that. He would wait, yes, he would wait until the Titans were present. Then he would be free from Slade's grasp.

But, just to be safe, Robin couldn't alert the authorities now. He had to pretend like he was still on Slade's side. If he played stupid and triggered an alarm now, Slade might catch onto him. Nodding as though to convince himself, Robin landed on the top of Wayne Enterprises before attaching a grappling hook to the roof of the building. He used his grappling hook to scale down the outside of the building, stopping when he reached the fifth floor. Once he made it to the fifth floor, Robin kicked in a window in front of a couch, so the glass landed on the sofa and made no sound. Silently, Robin slipped into the building.

"Good, Apprentice," Slade said through Robin's communicator.

"Yes, Slade," Robin said. As he continued on toward the second hallway, Robin was unable to suppress a grin. Within the hour, within minutes even, Robin would no longer be Slade's apprentice. Soon, Robin would win.

"Your endorphins levels are up, Apprentice," Slade said silkily. "Are you enjoying this?"

Robin grinned again; Slade had no idea. "Yes, Slade," he said.

"Good," Slade said. "You'll be feeling this thrill for quite a long time."

Robin was practically laughing now. "Yes, Slade." Robin continued on down the hallway, stopping in front of the third door. He opened it and was surprised when he saw a dozen guards facing him. Robin smirked. Well, this _was_ Wayne Enterprises, after all. Somewhere above him, an alarm went off. Robin let out a laugh as he leaped in to attack the guards, not even caring that Slade heard him. Within seconds, they were all unconscious.

Grabbing the bomb, Robin fled the room, making his way back toward the place he'd entered by. Seeing guards coming from that direction, Robin kicked open a door on his left and entered the stairwell. He flew down the stairs, coming out on the main floor. Seeing another dozen guards in front of him, Robin threw another of Slade's gadgets in the center of the room, quickly slipping an oxygen mask over his face as the bomb released a flood of knockout gas. Racing through the main door, Robin tore off his mask and stood up, facing the Titans.

"Run," Slade hissed in his ear. "Escape before you annihilate your friends."

The Titans faced him, ready to attack, but Robin only grinned. "It's over, Slade!" he shouted.

"What?!" Slade shouted.

Robin took out the vial of clear liquid and positioned it on his neck. "I found the antidote, Slade. It's over; I'm no longer your apprentice."

The Titans were looking at him as though he were crazy, and Slade was screaming something in his ear that he didn't pay any attention to, but Robin only laughed as he plunged the needle into his neck and filled his body with the substance inside the syringe. He threw the syringe to the ground and it shattered. "It's over, Slade!"

"Yes, Robin. It _is_ over."

Robin's smile faltered as he heard the calm inflection of Slade's voice over the intercom. "What do you — "

"Do you think I would be foolish enough to provide you with your only means of escape?" Slade asked. "No, Robin. You have become your own downfall."

Robin blinked again, then suddenly fell to his knees as panic flooded his system. What was going on? He hadn't been losing control just a few moments ago . . .

"I told you, Apprentice," Slade hissed in his ear. "Disobedience would be punished. This is your punishment."

" _No_ ," Robin whispered. His breath caught, and the last thing he remembered was looking up at the Titans. "Guys, please, I didn't know . . . I'm sorry." Then Robin attacked.


	26. Save Them

Robin opened his eyes, finding himself on his back. The first person he saw was Slade, and the first thing he felt was something wet on his face. Daring to touch his mask, Robin pulled his hand back and almost lost control a second time when he saw blood on his glove. Not only on his glove, but down his whole arm. Choking once, Robin almost didn't want to look at his friends who he knew were lying nearby. Breathing in and trying to prepare himself, Robin let his head fall to the side, screaming as he took in the scene.

It was ten times worse than before. It looked like a battlefield, a warzone, and his friends weren't even moving any more. Robin choked and turned away, looking back at Slade. "S-save them, Slade. You did before, _please_ . . . "

"I told you your disobedience would be punished," Slade said, calmly watching the Titans succumb to their injuries. "I will not save them."

Robin was literally groveling now. "Slade . . . please. _Save them_."

"Why should I?" Slade asked.

"I . . . I'll be your apprentice!" Robin shouted. "Just please — "

Slade suddenly picked Robin up off the ground. "Will you, Robin? Will you swear to serve me? To do everything I tell you without a second thought or hesitation? Will you swear to be my apprentice for the rest of your days?"

"Yes," Robin muttered.

"Come now, Apprentice."

Robin didn't care anymore. He didn't care if he was Slade's apprentice for the rest of eternity. All Robin knew was that his friends were slowly dying beside him. It was his fault, but Slade could save them. Slade was the only one who had the technology, the ability . . . to save them. Robin met Slade's eye, desperation on his face and pleading in his voice. "Yes, Master."

Slade nodded and dropped Robin to the ground. Almost simultaneously, Robin looked up and saw some fifty to one hundred robots descending upon the scene, every single robot taking care of the Titans and bringing them back from the brink of death.

Robin couldn't even look on the scene. He simply sat on the ground, shaking, waiting for it to be over. Once again, as Slade continuously reminded him, he'd proven to the world how weak he was. How could he have been so stupid to think that Slade would simply leave the antidote in someplace so conspicuous? How could he have injected himself with that needle and think that it would actually work? He'd almost killed his friends again. Because of his _stupidity_ , Robin had almost killed them again.

A hand on his shoulder caused Robin to stand, and this time Robin was too exhausted to brush Slade's hand aside.

"Come, Apprentice," Slade said beside him. "The Titans are waking. Let us return."

Robin nodded without glancing at his team, and together the pair disappeared just as the Titans were regaining consciousness.

* * *

"W-what happened?" Cyborg asked, rubbing his head as he woke up.

"Robin lost control again," Raven said, sitting on the ground and panting slightly. "I healed you guys once I woke up. We barely made it."

"Is Robin here?" Starfire asked, waking up with a groan. She gasped. "Friends, is Robin okay? Did we hurt him?"

"Starfire, he's the one that almost killed us," Raven said. "I don't think he's here."

"Yeah, he left," Beastboy said with a small growl. "Probably too much of a coward to stick around — "

"Don't, Beastboy," Cyborg said, standing up. "This isn't Robin's fault. Slade gave him something that causes him to attack us."

"No, it isn't that," Raven said. "It doesn't force him to attack us. If that was the case, he would've attacked the instant he saw us. Remember in the tower? You guys were shouting and Robin was angry; that's what set him off."

"So Robin has an issue with the anger?" Starfire asked.

"Any heightened emotion sets him off," Raven said. "Remember when he panicked back in Slade's lair?"

"How could I forget?" Beastboy asked. "It's a good thing I can turn into a cat; it gives me more lives to blow."

"What can we do?" Starfire asked. "If Robin cannot 'keep the cool' when he's around us, how can we help him?"

"Do we really have to help him?" Beastboy asked. "Dude, he almost killed us! Did you see that crazy flipped look in his eyes?"

"He hates attacking us," Cyborg said, checking to make sure his cybernetic arm was correctly attached. "Like Raven said, his heightened emotional state sets him off. He's just scared that he'll injure us again; that's what makes him lose control."

"But what was that strange vial that Robin injected himself with?" Starfire asked.

"I was monitoring his vital signs, and right after he injected himself, his adrenaline levels went through the roof," Cyborg said. "I think whatever Robin _thought_ that stuff was going to do, it didn't do it. Instead, it did the opposite and set him off."

"So that's why he apologized right before he attacked," Beastboy said.

"Is there anything we can do?" Starfire asked. "We need to help Robin!"

"Unless we could find something, like a device to shut off his adrenaline glands or emotions," Raven began, "but that doesn't exist. Or maybe if we could get a blood sample from Robin, we could analyze it and come up with . . . "

"You mean something like this?" Cyborg asked, a compartment opening in his chest and revealing a small vial of Robin's blood.

Starfire screeched with delight. "Cyborg! When did you get that?"

"Right as he attacked us, the Beastboy here managed to scratch him," Cyborg said, watching Beastboy swell up with pride. "I collected a blood sample and hid it away inside my body."

"Apparently, those robots didn't find it," Raven said.

"What do you mean?" Cyborg asked.

"After the battle, I became conscious for a moment and saw Slade and Robin on the battlefield. Then Slade summoned all these robots that came down and started tending to our wounds," Raven said. "I don't remember much after that."

"That was why I was having a weird dream about a doctor's appointment!" Beastboy said, having a sudden revelation.

"So . . . Slade was helping us?" Starfire asked. "Why would he — "

"To keep Robin in line," Cyborg said darkly. "Just like last time."

"But, dude, we've got the upper hand now," Beastboy said, grinning.

"That's right, Beastboy," Raven said. "Now that Cyborg's got a sample of Robin's blood, we can . . . "

"Form an antidote and save Robin?" Starfire asked, practically jumping up and down.

"It's possible," Raven said with a smile.

Cyborg looked around at the rest of the team and nodded. "Come on, Titans. We've got work to do."


	27. Discipline

"Rise, Apprentice."

Having just again lost control, Robin growled under his breath as he rose from his prostrate position on the floor. He glared up at Slade, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

"I'm disappointed," Slade said. "Four weeks have gone by, and you've made no improvement on controlling yourself."

Robin whirled around as Slade got behind him, but he was only able to deflect three attacks before getting hit with the fourth. He could feel his anger levels rising as he hit the ground.

"Calm yourself," Slade said.

Robin panted and nodded. Ever since he'd nearly killed the Titans a month previously, Robin had thrown himself into training with Slade. Realizing that Slade might've been right and there might not be a real antidote, Robin turned to the only other thing that would help. But even focusing all his energy on his training helped little. In a month, Robin had still managed to consistently lose control nine times during their training sessions. It was pathetic, to say the least. Slade knew just how to crack him.

At this rate, it would take him years to —

A kick out of nowhere sent Robin flying. Barely containing his rage, Robin looked up at Slade. "I-I'll learn to control this just as well as you," Robin growled. "Once I do, I'll take you down and — "

"Interesting threat," Slade interrupted. "We are alike in so many ways, aren't we, Robin?"

Robin snarled like an animal. Without a second thought, he rushed Slade and began attacking, not caring if he lost control again. Slade was _wrong!_ The two of them weren't alike! Slade was a villain; he was a hero!

"How will you ever take me down if you can't even remain in control for sixty seconds?"

Another injection to the neck followed by a kick sent Robin flying, and after a moment Robin got to his feet, thoroughly exhausted. "How did you do it?" Robin asked. "How did you learn to control it?"

"The same way you are failing," Slade said, the sneer in his voice obvious.

Robin clenched his fists, then forced himself to relax. Was it even possible for him to control this and reign in his emotions? "But how do you — "

"Discipline, Apprentice," Slade said. "Something which you thoroughly lack."

Robin blinked, gritting his teeth as his anger shot up at Slade's words. "I don't lack discipline!"

Slade laughed at Robin's words. "On the contrary, Apprentice. How can you lack something which you don't possess?"

Robin opened his mouth, then forced it closed. Maybe Slade was right. Maybe he _did_ lack emotional discipline. Suddenly, image of the Titans' bodies on the ground flashed through Robin's mind, and he pushed it away. He couldn't let his friends be hurt again. He had to learn. He _had to_. Robin looked up at Slade. "Then teach me," he said. Robin blushed with embarrassment, feeling as though he were a young child. To actually need to ask for something like this, as a hero, was beyond humiliating. "Teach me emotional discipline. Please."

Slade looked down at him, then slowly nodded. "All right, Apprentice. You will learn."

A small twinge of hope lit inside Robin's chest as he watched Slade circle him. Was he advancing in his training? Was he already getting better since Slade chose to teach him emotional discipline?

"You are weak."

Robin blinked, glaring over at Slade. "What did you say?" he growled.

"Your physical strength is impressive, but your mental control is nonexistent," Slade continued. "Because of this, you've made little, if any, progress within the last month."

Robin clenched his fists. "That's not true, Slade!"

"Come now, Apprentice," Slade said. "You are still unable to take me down. You were unable to learn of my plans and were unable to stop yourself from nearly killing the Titans twice. Your fighting becomes sloppy because of this. You lack focus, and your emotions blind you to all else, Apprentice. They control you."

Robin gritted his teeth. "N-no, they don't — "

"Of course," Slade said. "That is why you're already losing control. We haven't even started, Robin."

Robin couldn't take it anymore. With a snarl, he started to leave the room. This wasn't emotional discipline; Slade was mocking him! How was this helping? Suddenly, Robin felt a hand on his shoulder preventing him from leaving. It took all of Robin's power not to grab Slade by the wrist and slam him into a wall.

"Where are you going, Apprentice?" Slade asked.

"Away from you," Robin growled.

"On the contrary, Robin. Unless you are sleeping, you will be by my side," Slade said. "Is that understood?"

Rage surged inside Robin's body. Spending some sixteen hours with his enemy? Every day? No, he couldn't do it. He _wouldn't_ do it. Now shaking with rage, Robin whirled to face Slade. "I will _not_."

"Then you will learn no emotional discipline," Slade said.

Robin blinked as Slade began walking away. No, he had to learn! If he ever wanted to see his friends again, he would have to! Thinking quickly, he reversed his previous statement. "A-all right, Slade. I will."

Slade turned to face him. "Good, and from now on, you will call me 'Master' in all situations," Slade said.

Robin couldn't hold back a laugh. "Never, Slade," he said. "I would — "

"Then learn nothing," Slade said, walking away. "Live ruled by your emotions and never control yourself. Fear yourself. Fear what you almost did to the Titans."

Robin thought back to his friends, remembering how much he hated and feared himself for not being able to control his rage and panic. He would learn. He had to learn, no matter the cost. Letting out several ragged breaths to calm himself, Robin spoke. "Yes S — Master."

Slade suddenly grabbed Robin under the chin and forced his head up so their eyes would meet. "Good, Apprentice. Now follow me."

Inwardly sighing, Robin followed Slade. If this was what it took to control the drug inside him, so be it. He would learn emotional discipline. Even if it took him a month, a year, or five years, he would learn, and Slade would lose.

* * *

Being around Slade for a five-hour training session was hard enough, but to suddenly triple the amount of time he was around Slade was quite literally torture. Not even a week had passed, and already Robin found himself cracking under the enormous mental pressure he was forced under. Having every single one of his bones broken wouldn't have been as stressful or as painful as this. Could he really do this? Could he really learn the amount of mental discipline required to master this drug?

"Apprentice."

Robin blinked, looking over at Slade. "Yes . . . Master?"

"Focus."

Robin turned back to the facility he and Slade were planning on breaking into. Though it'd become second nature to steal by now, Robin was still shaken up by the fact that Slade had chosen to accompany him this time. Sure, it was one of the highest-security facilities in Jump City, but didn't Slade know he could handle it? Did Slade think him weak?

"Calm down, Apprentice."

Robin nodded, realizing that this was probably another stage in his mental discipline. "The coast is clear — " Robin was about to jump off his perch when Slade grabbed him by the wrist and held him in his position. Robin looked and saw a guard appear out of nowhere. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, thankful that they hadn't been caught.


	28. Prowess

"I told you to focus," Slade said.

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes . . . Master," Robin said.

Suddenly Slade moved, and Robin instinctively followed. Within moments, the two had leaped and landed on the side of the building. Slade grasped the wall easily as though half-spider, but Robin felt himself slipping off the concrete wall. He instantly reached down for his grapping hook but was stopped by Slade's hand on his wrist. Following Slade's eye downward, Robin saw several guards beneath them. Robin understood; if he launched his grappling hook now, there was a chance he and Slade would be caught and the entire mission, failed.

But Robin was still slipping. Biting his tongue to stop himself from screaming, Robin felt himself falling. However, Robin had forgotten that Slade still gripped his wrist, and a painful jerk on his shoulder reminded him of that fact. Now no longer in danger of falling to his death, Robin scrabbled on the slick concrete before him but was still unable to find a hand or foothold. He looked up at Slade and silently questioned the man. Not answering him due to the fact that several guards were still below, Slade reached over and brushed his hand against Robin's suit collar.

Robin blinked in confusion. He wasn't losing control; what was . . . suddenly, Robin heard a faint _click_ and felt the ends of his suit changing. Slade tossed Robin against the concrete wall, and Robin found himself suddenly able to cling on the wall with no problem whatsoever. Picking up one hand, Robin looked and saw microscopic hooks on the fingertips of his uniform. These hooks were on his boots as well, and they allowed Robin to cling to the concrete as easily as Slade was now doing.

Several minutes later, the guards beneath Robin and Slade disappeared. Slade nodded to Robin and they both began moving toward their destination. Due to the fact that Robin had never dealt with a suit that had the ability to cling to the sides of buildings, his crossing was painfully slow. Sometimes he dug the ends of his suit too far into the building and was momentarily stuck in his position, and sometimes he didn't press the hooks into the concrete hard enough and almost fell off the building.

But Slade moved with ease and familiarity, even crossing over a ledge by letting go of the building with all but one hand and swinging to the other side, touching down with only the fingertips of the opposite hand. Robin watched Slade with a twinge of jealousy. He didn't think Slade was capable of showing off, but Robin knew full-well that he would rather fall off the side of the building than let Slade better him. Inhaling, Robin performed the same technique Slade had, letting go with all but one hand before swinging to the other side of the ledge.

But right as Robin felt that he would be able to make it, something went wrong. Robin swung too far to his left, and he suddenly felt the hooks on his right hand scraping the concrete as they lost their contact with the building and began sliding horizontally. Robin tried to fix the situation, but it was too late. Unable to correct himself, Robin felt himself falling for the second time.

Somewhere above him, Robin heard Slade jump, and he suddenly felt Slade's hand wrap around his wrist. He looked up, expecting Slade to use a grappling hook to stop their descent. Robin was about to use his own grappling hook, but Slade was a step ahead of him. Apparently viewing grappling hooks as gadgets "beneath him" Slade instead reached out with one hooked hand and plunged it into the building's wall, stopping their descent immediately.

As Robin jolted to a stop, he was unable to stop himself from staring up at Slade in amazement. The acrobat inside Robin was amazed while the human inside him was shocked. It was beyond impressive, but Slade couldn't be human; no human could perform such a stunt. No human Robin knew, anyway. Strength didn't begin to describe the feat Slade had just pulled off. Being able to stop so abruptly and completely, while keeping his hold on Robin the entire time — how could Slade not have torn himself apart or dislocated something? What about his arm, his wrist . . . his _shoulder_!

But Slade seemed neither injured nor surprised by his own strength. He casually tossed Robin back against the building, and a panting Robin climbed upward until he was parallel to Slade. Robin glanced over at Slade, still recovering from his dual dose of panic and amazement. Not only was Slade's incredible feat of strength something to behold, but these hooks . . . to be able to cling to the walls of buildings so easily was incredible technology to say the least, and . . .

"Impressive, isn't it?"

Robin looked over at Slade, blushing a bit. He didn't know what Slade had been talking about, either his saving him or the suit modifications, but Robin didn't care. Ignoring Slade, Robin clenched one of his fists, letting out a gasp of pain as he accidentally dug the hooks from his uniform into the palm of his hand.

Slade only chuckled. "Come, Apprentice."

Without another word, Slade climbed, and Robin silently followed. Once they had gotten to the required floor, Slade used the hooks on his uniform to cut a hole in the window. Robin watched as the hole was cut, then Slade took the palm of his hand and attached it to the window. The part of the window stuck to his palm, and Slade pushed inward and leaped through the now-open window. Robin quickly followed.

As soon as Robin was inside, Slade took the cut part of the window and placed it back on the window. Pressing a button on his wrist so that his palm no longer stuck to the window, Slade took a small torch from his utility belt and remolded the glass together. Within seconds, the window returned to normal. Curiously, Robin looked at the window from all angles, amazed that he could see no lines or cracks whatsoever on the window to alert authorities that someone had broken in. In fact, if Robin hadn't just come through the window himself seconds before, he wouldn't have believed that the window had ever been cut. Robin glanced over at Slade and swallowed. Slade was very skilled at this.

Turning, Robin was about to continue on through the building when Slade put a hand on his shoulder and abruptly pulled him back. Robin turned, angrily shooting a silent question at Slade.

But Slade wasn't looking at him, and after a moment, Slade suddenly began moving through the room as though he were dancing. Every second, Slade would jump, then duck, slide underneath something, then leap again. Confused for a moment, Robin squinted through the darkness and suddenly saw hundreds of trip wires and lasers. So that's why Slade had stopped him!

Robin looked up then, seeing Slade on the other side of the room and looking at him expectantly. Flushing a bit, Robin followed Slade, dodging under each wire and barely avoiding each laser. As he continued his way through the room, Robin found that it got easier. This wasn't very hard, in fact —

Instantly, Robin knew something was wrong. He realized that his foot had somehow stuck to the floor, and as he turned to try to correct it, Robin felt himself falling. _Of course!_ It was the hooks in his shoes; he hadn't retracted them before crossing the room!


	29. No Hero

Slade appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Robin by neck of his uniform and stopping Robin inches from the trip wire. With a rough push, he forced Robin onto a blank space on the floor, then returned to the other side of the room in seconds. Robin pressed the button on his uniform to retract the hooks and continued on without incident. Landing with barely a sound, Robin stood in front of Slade.

"You still have much to learn, Apprentice," Slade said, turning and walking into the next room.

Robin followed Slade, grinding his teeth until they bled to prevent himself from saying something he'd regret. This was his mental discipline. Every victory for him was one step closer to being reunited with the Titans. Robin just had to keep telling himself that.

The next room seemed impassible. The entire room was alight with electricity, and Robin was about to turn and ask Slade if they should take an alternate route when he saw Slade climbing up the wall. Robin quickly followed, feeling the hum of electricity right behind him as he followed Slade up the wall and onto the ceiling. The electricity was inches away from his body at all times. If he didn't get a good grip on the wall . . .

Robin looked up, no, down, no, _ahead_ and saw that Slade had already crossed the room. Feeling anger rise inside him, Robin forced himself to slow down and take the necessary precautions as he crossed. He wasn't used to these hooks on his uniform yet, and he didn't want his own pride to again be his downfall. The electricity looked painful.

However, when he crossed the ceiling and faced the other side of the wall, Robin found himself at an impasse. The hooks in his uniform were curved inward, and if Robin tried to climb down the wall face-first, there was a good chance that he would fall to his death. If he tried to invert his body so that he could climb down as he'd climbed up, he would be shocked to death. There was nothing he could do.

Looking down at Slade, Robin saw that Slade was silently pointing to the side of his wrist. Robin withdrew one of his hands from the ceiling, squinting at the wrist of his uniform. He saw a small, hidden button there, and pressed it with the side of his face. The claws on that hand retracted permanently, and Robin looked down at Slade in confusion. What was that supposed to do?

But Robin then realized that Slade had been pointing to the other side of his wrist. Pressing this new button, Robin saw the claws on his uniform come out once, then retract before unsheathing again, this time pointing in the _opposite direction_. Now understanding, Robin did the same with his other hand. Then, fumbling for several seconds, Robin felt around on his ankle with his opposite boot before clicking the appropriate button. He did the same with the other shoe. Then, finding face-first gravity barely an issue due to growing up in the circus, Robin crawled down the wall with little more than slight dizziness due to the fact that he was scaling the wall face-first.

Landing in front of Slade, Robin retracted the hooks in his uniform and was unable to suppress a grin at himself. He was conquering these difficult traps with ease. Maybe this would come in handy someday.

"Enjoying yourself, Apprentice?" Slade asked.

Robin breathed out his spike of anger, remembering that every time he didn't lose control was one step closer to never again being Slade's apprentice. "Yes . . . Master."

He and Slade moved into the next room, and Robin was surprised to see that this room was a long hallway with no apparent traps or lasers to deter them. As the pair kept moving, Robin found himself relaxing his guard. He vaguely wondered what the Titans were up to. For the last month, he hadn't seen them at all. He knew they were alive; he'd seen them waking up from their injuries the last time he'd almost killed him, but why were they letting him steal for Slade? Had they given up on him? Did they just not care anymore? Or did they —

Robin turned to look at Slade, surprised when he saw that Slade wasn't there. Looking upward, Robin saw Slade sitting in the shadows of a crossbeam, hiding. What was going on —

Suddenly, a door on Robin's right opened. A single guard walked in, looking up and gasping when he saw Robin. Instantly the guard had his communicator in his hands —

Simultaneously, Slade was upon the guard. Using one hand to crush his communicator and prevent him from raising an alarm, Slade's other hand found the guard's throat, choking him.

Robin, not daring to intervene, watched the scene. After a few moments, he realized Slade's true intent and found his voice. "S-Slade, don't kill him. Please."

Slade glanced over his shoulder at Robin. "I am no hero, Apprentice."

"Master," Robin forced out, knowing what Slade wanted to hear, " _please_. . . "

Slade looked again at Robin. Finally, he knocked the guard unconscious and released his grip with a cold laugh. "Soon, Apprentice, you will kill."

Robin knew to keep his mouth shut. He blinked hard, knowing there was no _way_ Slade would ever force him to do something so horrible and awful —

"But until then," Slade said, approaching him, "stop shaking."

Robin flushed with humiliation. Steeling both his nerves and his jaw, he forced his legs to follow Slade and not say or do something he would later regret. The two continued onward with their mission, staying in the shadows whenever possible and holding to the crossbeams and ceiling when shadows were absent. Finally, the pair arrived in the room they'd set out to find.

Robin ran up to the orb of blue light in the center of the room, reaching out to grab the technology he and Slade had come all this way to obtain. Moments away from touching the light, Slade stopped him. Slade's hands went to the control panel in front of the hovering piece of technology and began entering a code; within seconds the blue light ceased glowing and the gadget fell. Slade caught the gadget, then turned to Robin.

"It _is_ possible to steal without setting off an alarm, Apprentice."

Robin flushed yet again. He looked from the control panel to the place where the blue light previously glowed. He hadn't known that.

"Come, Apprentice. It's time to leave," Slade said.

Nodding at Slade, the pair retraced their steps and left the building the same way they came. When the guard that Slade had knocked unconscious woke up and alerted the authorities, Slade and Robin were long gone.

As the two walked back into Slade's compound, Robin let out a sigh. He was almost certain that the day was over and he could go to bed. He was about to ask Slade if he could leave when Slade turned to him.

"Excellent job, Apprentice," Slade began. "You've been by my side for the past six days, and I've only had to use your stabilizer . . . one hundred eighty times."

Robin could hear the sneer in Slade's voice, but he wouldn't dare lose it again. He wouldn't make it eighty-one times.

"You are dismissed."

Robin turned heel and raced away from Slade without a glance backward. Though he was still Slade's apprentice, the freedom he felt as each day ended never ceased to amaze him. Maybe, once he had his emotions under control, he'd be able to show Slade who was better than who. He'd go back to the Titans and put Slade behind bars. He would win. He would conquer.

He hoped.


	30. Visit

Robin awoke with a yell as he felt someone pulling him by the leg and throwing him to the floor. He opened his eyes, furious, only to see Slade standing over him. "What are you — "

"Pathetic," Slade said. "A true Apprentice of mine would never be caught off guard, even while sleeping."

Robin growled under his breath and sat up, rubbing his head. "You could've woken me up a little less violently," Robin muttered, glaring up at Slade.

"Of course," Slade said. "Now come. Your training starts immediately."

Robin pulled himself to his feet with a groan. It was going to be a long day.

As always, the two entered the training room. Robin immediately fell into a fighting stance, but he was confused when Slade didn't respond with a stance of his own.

"Today your training will be different, Apprentice," Slade said.

Robin's eyes narrowed at Slade's words, but he didn't let down his guard. Slade could attack at any moment, and Robin wanted to be ready.

"Since you seem incapable of learning through teaching," Slade began, now circling Robin and making the latter feel uncomfortable, "you will learn through example."

Robin blinked, faltering. "What?"

Slade's eye was now glowing. "Make me lose control, Apprentice. Any way you can."

Robin blinked again, now at a loss for words. Was Slade actually serious? No, he couldn't be . . . this wasn't the training Robin was used to . . .

"What's wrong, Apprentice? Are you unable to do it?" Slade asked.

With a growl, Robin threw himself at Slade and began to fight the man, trying to think of a way to make Slade crack. "You're weak!" he yelled. "One of these days, you'll let your guard down and I'll be the one to gain the upper hand! Me and the Titans will take you down!"

"Or perhaps _you_ will take down the Titans for me," Slade said.

Robin recoiled as though struck with a whip. He hadn't expected Slade to retaliate. Gritting his teeth, he tried another tactic. "You have no family!" he shouted. "No friends!"

"And neither do you, dear Apprentice."

Robin choked this time, feeling emotions threaten to take him over. Why was he the one losing control if it was Slade he was trying to break? Looking up at Slade, Robin decided to play his trump card. "That's it. I'm leaving." Without a glance behind him, Robin began walking away. Robin panted as he made his way out of the room, fighting to stay in control.

"Of course you are, Apprentice," Slade hissed after him. "But fear not, Robin. I will still welcome you back after all your friends are _dead_."

Robin fell to his knees then, and, in an instant, he broke. A sharp pain in his neck brought him back to his senses, and he looked up, meeting Slade's eye.

"You failed, Apprentice," Slade said, roughly pulling Robin to his feet. "How does it feel?"

"I'll learn," Robin muttered, glaring at his boots. "I'll control this."

"How long?" Slade whispered. "Even if you trained every second of every day to control your emotions, how long do you think it would take?"

"I — " Robin bit his lip, a sudden wave of sorrow overcoming him. He'd already been here for a month with little to no improvement. How much longer would he be forced to stay here?

"Until you master this, you will be unable to leave," Slade continued. "You'll be here _years_ , Apprentice."

" _NO!_ " Robin snapped then. With a scream, he threw a punch at Slade which connected with Slade's face, throwing him backward. Slade was up in an instant, gripping a vial that Robin knew was for him. Before Robin could move to attack again, he felt a fist connect with his shoulder and throw him to the ground; the needle injected into him. As Robin regained consciousness of his own self, Slade kicked him in the stomach.

"Such a lack of control, Apprentice."

As Slade left, Robin slammed his fist into the ground. Though he hated to admit it, Slade was right. He had no control. It was because of his lack of control that his friends had almost . . . Robin hastily wiped his face, took a deep breath, then stood up and followed Slade. Until he was dismissed for the night, he was under strict, unsaid orders to stay by Slade always. To be the man's shadow. His _apprentice_. He loathed it, but it was the only way he could learn control.

Robin found Slade in his control room, and Slade turned toward him when Robin approached.

"Hello, Apprentice."  
Robin simply nodded.

"You've done well, Apprentice. As a reward, I have a gift for you."

Robin looked quickly at Slade, his eyes narrowing. Unless they were going to a prison, and Slade was staying behind, it was no gift to Robin. "What is it?" he asked guardedly.

"We are going to the Tower."

Fear shot through Robin, and he looked back at Slade, eyes wide. "N-no. Don't make me go there," he whispered. "Please . . . "

"You will come," Slade said.

"W-why?" Robin choked out. "Go by yourself, just — "

"Accessing the Tower is much easier when accompanied with a current resident," Slade said.

"You, of all people, should know that."

"You can break in by yourself!" Robin yelled. "Slade, please, don't put me through that!"

"Apprentice."

Robin looked up at Slade. "Please, Master, don't — "

"Flattery won't work this time," Slade hissed.

Robin's face fell as he knew he was backed into a corner. "Please . . ."

"Don't worry," Slade said. "I won't allow you to kill them."

The words helped little, and Robin looked up at Slade, trying to glare at the man but failing due to intense grief. He wouldn't be able to talk his way out this time. Finally, taking a deep breath, Robin asked a question. "What are we stealing?"

"Interested already?" Slade asked. "In their last battle, the Titan they call Cyborg used an addition on his usual blaster-arm that caught my interest. When the blast hit, it caused no actual damage but rearranged the molecular structure of their foe so that he was forced to move at one-quarter his normal speed. This is what we are taking."

Robin blinked, remembering Cyborg's saying that he was working on a brand-new device that would, as he said it, "stop time." He'd been close to finishing it before Robin left; apparently it'd been completed within the last month.

"Now come, Apprentice. Let's go visit your former friends."


	31. Near Collapse

Robin's teeth were chattering as he and Slade stood outside the Tower, ready to break in and steal the modified blaster.

"Cold?" Slade asked.

Robin gritted his teeth, knowing full-well that Slade knew the answer to that. Though it was night, the temperature was a balmy eighty degrees. This had nothing to do with cold.

Slade moved aside, motioning for Robin to go ahead of him. "Lead the way, Apprentice," he said smoothly.

Robin, feeling himself lose control already, pushed the button on the neck of his apprentice suit. Feeling the hooks on the fingertips of his suit, Robin clenched his fists with all his strength, piercing the hooks into his flesh. The pain prevented him from losing control, and it also reminded him why he was doing this. He would stay in control.

"Interesting tactic," Slade said.

Now breathing raggedly, Robin retracted the hooks on his suit and walked into the Tower. He stopped at the Tower's entrance, taking off his glove and, hoping his blood wouldn't confuse the system, pressed his hand against the wall sensor. Instantly, the sensor recognized him. The door opened.

Slade took the lead, knowing that it would take Robin several seconds to work up enough resolution to enter the Tower. After blinking hard several times, Robin followed Slade.

As the pair entered the Tower, Robin tried to not look around too much. It was exactly the same. The couch had been repaired, pizza boxes were everywhere, and . . . the Titans had even gotten a new television.

Robin shook his head to refocus himself. Locating Slade, he saw that Slade was standing over at the door that led to the hall. Leaping over the couch, Robin bypassed the system with his handprint and opened the door. In seconds, the pair were racing down the hall. Robin couldn't help feeling his anxiety spike as he passed each of the Titans' bedrooms. What if one of them woke up and he lost control? What if —

"R-Robin?"

Robin turned, choking as he saw Starfire standing in the doorway to her room. "S-Star, please, I — "

Instantly Slade was upon Starfire, putting a hand to her mouth and preventing her from screaming. In half a second, Slade had pulled out a taser and pressed it into Starfire's back, knocking her out instantly.

Robin watched the scene, unable to even breathe. He looked up at Slade. "D-did you — "

"She is alive," Slade said.

Robin fell to his knees, gripping his head in his hands as the memories hit him like a bolt of lightning. This was too real. He couldn't do it; couldn't see the Titans again. It was driving him insane, pushing him to the edge . . .

Robin felt a hand over his own mouth, muffling his cry as Slade injected him with a stabilizer. Robin took a few moments to catch his breath, then stood up and nodded to Slade. They continued on. As the pair descended to the basement, Robin's nerves were on edge. Being in the Tower, being just rooms away from the Titans, allowed Robin nothing but panic. Every single creak of the tower caused Robin to jump, wondering if it was Beastboy getting a midnight snack or Raven performing her nighttime meditation.

"Calm down, Apprentice," Slade said.

Robin nodded. Once they got to the basement, he and Slade turned and saw Cyborg's blaster in the middle of the room. Robin moved forward, entering the password and allowing Slade to grab the blaster. With the object they needed in hand, he and Slade left the tower, not bothering to lock up since Starfire would alert the team once she awoke.

Now back at the compound, Robin sagged as they made their way to the control room, and he was still shaking from the events at the Tower as Slade took the blaster and inspected its components. Itching to be dismissed for the night despite the fact that he probably wasn't going to be allowed to go to bed for another hour yet, Robin found that he couldn't take it anymore. The stress from the day's events had taken its toll on him, and emotions threatened to consume him. Robin glanced over at Slade.

Usually Slade was incredibly observant, but now Slade didn't seem to be giving him a second thought. Robin considered leaving, then abandoned the idea. Slade wouldn't be happy with him if he did that. But he had to do something; emotions still threatened to consume him. Steeling his jaw, Robin breathed in and asked his question. "Sl — Master?" he muttered.

Slade's eye flicked over to him. "Yes?"

Robin blinked hard, refusing to lose it now in front of Slade. "Can I have a stabilizer?"

Slade turned to look at him. "You don't seem to be losing control."

Robin blinked again, scratching the side of his face absently. "Please?" he asked, his breathing now ragged and his lips trembling.

Narrowing his eye in what Robin knew to be a sneer, Slade finally reached to his utility belt and grabbed a vial, injecting Robin with the substance. Robin staggered and caught himself as his raging emotions calmed. He exhaled. "Thank you," he muttered.

Slade chuckled. "You are dismissed."

Robin turned to leave, and he was about to exit the room when Slade spoke again.

"You may one day have control over those emotions as well, dear Apprentice."


	32. Rescue

"Get up, Apprentice."

Robin rose, barely able to regain his footing before Slade grabbed him by the scruff of his uniform and slammed him against a wall.

"That's the fifteenth time you've lost control within the last hour," Slade growled.

Robin struggled to get out of Slade's grip. "I-I'm trying," he panted.

"Apparently, you're not trying at all," Slade said, letting Robin drop. "If you were, you might have made a bit of progress by now."

Robin got up once Slade dropped him, gasping for breath. "I will learn, and then I'll reunite with the Titans and — "

"If you are unable to control yourself around me, how long would it take you to control the drug around your friends?" Slade asked. "You almost _destroyed_ them, Robin. You need not fear the aftereffects of losing control around me; I will stabilize you. But how much do you fear the thought of snapping even once around the Titans? They cannot stabilize you; they cannot stop you. You would annihilate them."

Robin blinked hard, trying to stay in control. He hated that Slade was right. Even if he did manage to control himself around Slade, which would take months at the very least, what would happen once he returned to the Titans? His safety net of stabilizers would be gone. If he panicked even once or got into an argument, Slade wouldn't be there to save them again . . .

Maybe it would be better if he never returned to the Titans. Maybe it would be better if he stayed here for the rest of his days. At least then, they would be alive.

"Are you finally coming to your senses, Apprentice?" Slade asked. "You can never go back to them; you know that."

"N-no," Robin whispered.

"Yes, Apprentice," Slade hissed, picking Robin up again. "You know it's true. Do you want to be responsible for their destruction?"

Robin blinked hard, practically hyperventilating now. Slade's words were true. As Robin thought back to the Titans' bodies on the ground, he knew he couldn't make that a reality. It'd had nearly happened twice already. If it was a choice between serving Slade or killing the Titans, Robin knew his choice; he knew what he had to do.

"Come now, Apprentice," Slade whispered. "Serve me."

Robin looked at Slade in defeat, opening his mouth to finally seal his submission and loyalty to Slade. "Yes, Master," he breathed. " _I will serve_ — "

Out of nowhere, a blue energy beam slammed into Slade and threw him into an opposing wall. Robin dropped to his feet and whirled around, his mouth dropping open when he saw the Titans. Instantly panic flooded his system. What were they doing here? How had they found him? "Guys," he said weakly, "you need to — "

"Titans, go!" Cyborg yelled, springing into action with the rest of the team.

Robin was on the ground now, silently screaming as his situation began to sink in. "What are you doing here? You need to leave now!"

"Not gonna happen," Beastboy growled, quickly transforming into a dinosaur.

"Robin, do not fear!" Starfire said from above him. "This time, we will be victorious!"

"N-no," Robin whispered. He could feel the panic coming in successfully stronger waves, and he knew that he was about to snap again. "You need to leave!" he yelled at them. Robin, desperately needing a stabilizer, looked over at Slade and raced over to the man, standing in front of Slade and stopping the Titans in their tracks. "I told you guys to leave. Leave me here! Now!"

"We're not leaving, Robin," Raven said.

"I suggest you listen to your former leader," Slade laughed from behind Robin. "If he loses control again, he will kill you. And from the looks of it, he's about to."

"Slade's right!" Robin shouted, already feeling himself cracking from the panic. "I-can't . . . you need to leave! I don't want to hurt you again!"

"No, Robin," Cyborg said. "This ends now."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Raven phased up from the ground next to Robin. Robin glanced over at her in a panic, but was confused when he saw that she held an injection filled with a dark green substance. Before Robin could say a word, she had plunged the needle into his arm and injected him with its substance.

Pain like nothing before engulfed Robin, and he instantly fell to the ground, wavering on the brink of consciousness. He was barely aware of the Titans resuming their attack on Slade, but after what seemed like hours, Robin was able to sit up. Instantly, Slade was in front of Robin, holding a vial filled with what seemed to be water. Robin screamed, trying to back away from Slade, but the man grabbed him by the wrist and forced the needle into his skin, filling him with its substance. Robin choked out a sob, waiting again for the adrenaline rush and the swift loss of control.

Seconds went by. Nothing happened. Robin looked up at Slade in confusion.

"What?" Slade muttered.

Starfire kicked Slade away from Robin, helping Robin to his feet. Robin turned to the Titans, so amazed that he was unable to ask the question on his lips. Why hadn't he lost control? Why hadn't he destroyed the Titans?

"We did it, dude," Beastboy said.

"What do you mean?" Robin whispered.

"Don't you get it; we found a cure, man!" Cyborg said.

Robin choked, barely able to believe it. But as surely as the emotions coursed through him, Robin found himself in perfect control. He wasn't killing. He wasn't snapping. It was almost too much to believe. Robin reached up and pinched his arm, still unwilling to believe it. This situation had been in his dreams so many times before that Robin struggled to consider its not being another dream. Pain shot through his arm as he pinched himself. Robin gasped from the pain, then looked upward and grinned, shaking his head. He didn't know how, but his friends had saved him.

"Impossible," Slade growled, rising to his feet in front of the Titans.

"It is possible, Slade," Robin said, finally coming to his senses. Tearing Slade's insignia from his chest, he threw it to the ground in triumph. "You've finally lost."

"And you're about to find out what it's like to be normal," Cyborg said.

Robin turned, seeing that the Titans all had identical injections of dark green liquid in their hands, ready to give Slade the same substance they'd given Robin. Slade tried to escape, but Raven used her powers to prevent him from moving. The Titans closed in on Slade, and Beastboy stretched out his hand towards Slade's arm. This was it. Slade would soon be only human.

"Stop." The word was out of Robin's mouth before he was even conscious of it. The Titans looked back at him as though he were crazy, but in that moment, Slade took advantage of their lapse in concentration. In an instant, Slade's eye changed. Throwing an electrical bomb at Raven, he shocked her and successfully broke free from her grasp. He landed soundlessly on the ground, then, instead of attacking the Titans as Robin expected, fled to the edge of the scene.

"You may have won for now, Titans," Slade hissed, "but soon the dawn of your demise will arrive."

As Slade fled, Robin knew that the rest of the team was watching him, waiting for him to call them into action. Robin looked at the Titans faces, then called out a single command. "Titans, stand down."

"What?" Raven asked.

"Do you not wish to pursue the enemy?" Starfire asked.

"What about Slade, man?" Cyborg asked.

"We're just gonna let him go?" Beastboy asked.

But Robin, no longer under the control of the drug and afraid of killing his friends, simply laughed. He was no longer Slade's apprentice; he was no longer forced to keep control of his emotions. He was free. All the stress and fear of the past month could now crash upon him without worry that he would lose control. In an instant, Robin fainted.


	33. Explanation

"So that's what happened," Cyborg finished.

Robin nodded as he lounged back at the Tower with the rest of the team, mulling over this new information. So they had gotten a sample of his blood during their last fight and had created an antidote from that. It was ingenious to say the least.

"And the blaster you were working on, Cyborg?" Robin asked.

"Yup, I let him take it," Cyborg said.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"We knew that Slade would show interest," Starfire said, "so we made sure that its use was on the televised."

"Once you got into the Tower to steal it, it was go time," Beastboy said. "Starfire was just the alarm system."

"I linked up with Starfire's mind that night so I was alerted when she got knocked out," Raven explained. "Once she was knocked unconscious, I woke up Beastboy so he could follow you."

"That's how you found Slade's hideout," Robin said.

"Yeah, you and Slade should 'bee' more careful!" Beastboy crowed.

"That drug was insane," Cyborg continued, shaking his head. "It was so complicated; it took us a month to come up with an antidote!"

"But we managed to save you," Starfire said gleefully. "We are victorious!"

Robin laughed along with Starfire, then considered. It practically all made sense, but there was one thing that Robin still couldn't understand. During their last battle, why had he not wanted the Titans to inject Slade with the cure? If Slade had been cured, then there was a possibility that the Titans would've been able to take him down and imprison him as the villain that he was. Why had Robin, so bent on taking Slade down before, suddenly stopped right when he had the chance?

As he thought about it, slowly the realization dawned on him. The drug that both Slade and Robin himself had had made them both incredibly strong. Worthy, formidable opponents. But that wasn't why Robin had prevented his friends from curing Slade. It wasn't because Robin was some sort of noble hero and felt sorry for Slade.

The reason was that Robin had a safety net all along. Though he might not have realized it until now, his friends were his safety net. They always had been. Slade had no friends, and because of that, the only safety net he had was his strength. Since Slade had never permanently taken away Robin's own safety net, Robin felt that he shouldn't remove Slade's net, either. Somehow, Robin hadn't wanted to take that away from him.

"Dude, you okay?"

Robin turned to Beastboy, grinning. "I'm good, Titans. In fact, I feel great."

"Considering what's happened, doesn't this call for some sort of . . . " Raven trailed off, blushing a bit.

"What is this 'the call' for, Raven?" Starfire asked.

"Celebration?" she finished sheepishly.

"Aw, yeah, man!" Cyborg yelled, jumping up with Beastboy. "It's time for pizza!"

"Almost wish I hadn't brought it up," Raven muttered.

Robin laughed as Beastboy turned into an octopus, grabbing each one of the Titans with his tentacles and rushing out of the Tower. In minutes, the five were outside the Tower, running through the streets of Jump City. They were free. He was free, and as they neared their favorite pizza joint, Robin couldn't help grinning and turning to his team, his friends, his family, as he yelled those all-too-familiar words: "Titans, go!"

T The End T


End file.
